4,329 residents of Kerio Valley will be compensated to pave the way for the revival of fluorspar mining, the Ministry of Mining and Petroleum has said. The compensation process, which had stalled for several months, is scheduled to start again next week.
The 4,329 residents affected had differed over the mode of compensation, thereby delaying the process. The residents occupy some 9,000 acres of land earmarked for fluorspar mining. According to the Mining and Petroleum Ministry, the mining company that employed 500 people made Sh4.5 billion from fluorspar exports in 2011 alone.
Munyes said the ministry had constituted a fresh team after another comprising officials from the National Land Commission (NLC), the ministry and residents’ representatives delayed the compensation process. NLC had promised the locals that they would be compensated before end of June.
