- One of these mooted nominees is the former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho for the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs.
- Owing to the handiness of diverse natural resources, the country is home to minerals like soda ash, limestone, some base metals such as copper, chromite and iron ore, colored gemstones. It also has significant potential in gold mining.
President William Ruto presented the second batch of those he preferred as Cabinet Secretaries in his Administration on July 24, 2024. This raised eyebrows across the country, with people questioning his decision, notably, the inclusion of members from the Opposition in his list.
One of these mooted nominees is the former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho for the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs.
Eyes will be set on this docket following Senator Omtatah’s remarks on his X account. He has expressed his strong belief in minerals’ availability within the country, exalting their potential to transform Kenya into a wealthy nation if exemplary leadership takes charge.
“Kenya has minerals that if properly exploited and used could make us a very wealthy nation. The challenge of leadership is to convert these resources into wealth. It is high time resources are utilized effectively for the benefit of the community,” he stated.
According to the Kenya Chamber of Mines, the senator's views are credible, as Kenya hosts a variety of mineral deposits, mines, and exploitation projects.
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Owing to the handiness of diverse natural resources, the country is home to minerals like soda ash, limestone, some base metals such as copper, chromite and iron ore, colored gemstones. It also has significant potential in gold mining.
Kenyans have portrayed their opinions through responses under his X post.
Some have hinted at a future conflict and a loss of faith in the betterment of all, rather than a few renowned stakeholders:
A great rivalry is going to arise now that we've had our eyes open about the availability of the minerals in Kenya.
The mineral wealth will end up enriching a few individuals.
Others have denounced neocolonialism and corruption, terming proficiency the remedy to the ailment:
For the mining industry to see growth we must fight the neocolonialism, cartel government, corruption and the biggest of all let mining professionals manage the Ministry of Mining.
A fair few have pointed the finger at mineral dealers, attributing the problem to unequal distribution, with several additionally raising questions:
I believe the base challenge we have is that the Government dealers will want to profit and thus stifle the proper exploitation and sales/marketing of the resources.
Kenya must act diligently to avoid the "resource curse" of unequal distribution of mineral wealth and environmental damage. Careful management and equitable policies ensure the mining sector benefits all Kenyans.
The question is, will the leaders in charge be ready to have this kind of conversation?
