REPUBLIC OF KENYA

MINISTRY OF MINING

KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON VISION, PRIORITIES AND CURRENT

PROGRAMMES OF THE MINISTRY: THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND
YOUTH

BY MINING CABINET SECRETARY HON. DAN KAZUNGU

WOMEN IN MINING MEETING, WINSDOR GOLF RESORT AND HOTEL,

NAIROBI, 5TH APRIL, 2016

Hon. Amina Abdalla, Chairperson National Assembly Committee of

Environment and Natural Resources,
Zebib Kavuma, Country Director, UN Women
Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed, Mining Principal Secretary
UN Consultants and Team Leaders,
Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to join you here today, and more so because this Forum is for women in
Mining. Let me take this early opportunity to reiterate the entire Government, and my own
commitment to the cause of enhancing womens participation in the mining sector. His
Excellency the President Uhuru Kenyatta has, personally directed that women and the youth
must be mainstreamed into the mining sector, and this must impress on you the importance of
the role which forums such as this, have in this endeavour.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The mining sector is one of the key drivers of Kenyas economy, now and into the foreseeable
future, as envisioned in the Vision 2030. This sector has the potential to overtake all the
traditional sectors on which have for decades, driven the economy of our country, and
contributed to the GDP. Yet the sectors contribution has been below a single digit at 0.8
percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I am committed to raise the sectors contibution to
double digits, at least to ten (10) percent 2030 as envisaged in the Medium Term Plan II
(2013-2017) of the Vision 2030.
So, this brings me to my address, The Vision, Mission and Priorities and Current
Programmes in the Ministry: The Role of Women and Youth.

Let me start with the vision. My vision is to take mining in Kenya to world class. My vision
is to see kenya become a regional Minerals hub. My vision for kenya is to bring and end the
suffering of communities in mining areas, living above minerals worth billions, yet lacking
access to basic infrastructure such as schools, health centres, water, roads with their children
dependeing on bursaries to get an education. And i have committed to realisation of this
vision.
My priotiry is to see opportunities and potential translated into real wealth for Kenyans. And
we have the ability and the commitment to do this.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Ministry has embarked on a number of key programmes to leapfrog the Mining sector.
Towards this, the Ministry has identified six key areas, in what we have called the Investors
6 pack as follows;
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.

Development of a 20 Year Mining Strategy

A comprehensive Mining and Minerals Policy framework
The Law- Mining Bill 2014
Sixteen Mining Regulations
Establishment of a Stable Fiscal regime
Carrying out an Airborne National Geophysical Survey

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I mentioned earlier, I wish to reiterate that mainstreaming of the Women and the Youth is a
priority for this Government. We are aware that women . youth and even children are are
increasingly getting involved in the extractive industry especially in artisanal and small-scale
mining (ASM). They engage in labor-intensive mining activities using rudimentary

processing methods including the hazardous amalgamation with mercury in the case of gold
extraction.
This special group of citizens, have however been overlooked in initiatives and programmes
which have been put in place to transform the sector. We are also aware of other challenges
facing women in the sector, which are made worse by inequalities in access and control over
resources, exclusion in decision making processes, lack of access to information and
technology, limited knowledge and capacity to engage in the sector, and limited knowledge of
enterprise development in the mining sector.
Iam happy to announce today, that all this scenario has now come to end with last weeks
approval of the historic Mining and Minerals Policy by the Cabinet.

With this new

development, mainstreaming of women into the extractive sector, allocation of resources and
development of initiatives and programmes to address women in mining sector issues is now
a government policy. It is no longer left to ad hoc initiatives and has become a priority which
will also be anchored in law once the Mining Act is enacted.
It is therefore my singular pleasure to be part of this process. And I assure you of my
commitment as we embark on this exciting journey, to translate our minerals potential into
real wealth for all Kenyans, and for our women through deliberate and planned inclusion.

Thank You.