A taskforce report has recommended the opening of Flourspar Mines Company which closed operations six years ago.
The 17-member led committee established taskforce on the revival of the once giant miller also called for the compensation of more than 1400 people whose land was taken by the mining firm.
Presenting the report, taskforce chair Joseph Kandie said the closure of the company had affected the economy of the area calling for its reopening to offer jobs to the many youths who are unemployed.
Governor Wisley Rotich formed a taskforce in September last year tasked to come up with a report aimed at reviving the Kenya Flourspar mining company.
The taskforce carried out public participation especially on possible reopening of the mining factory and compensation, an issue which has been pending since the 1970s.
While receiving the report in, the Governor said he would forward it to Cabinet Secretary Mining and Blue Economy for possible implementation.
The company ended operations in 2016 and decided not to renew its license citing a prolonged global slump in commodity prices and high cost of operations.
“There were more than 2000 people working in this factory before its closure. This has led to economic massive economic lose by businessmen and mama mbogas who often sold their wares to staff who work at the factory,” said the Governor while receiving the report, “some of our people who had bought lorries on credit fell into depression as their lands or property were auctioned by financial institutions.”
He said a high number of youths have engaged in criminal activities due to idleness.
The report also recommends the release of a forensic audit done by the National Land Commission to establish the compensation status of land by the company.
It also recommends the NLC to look into calls by the locals to revert unused land to the owners and calls for an Environmental Impact Assessment by NEMA to check on pollution.
Other recommendations include containing alleged police harassment and previous cases be handled by Independent Policy Oversight Authority (IPOA), payment of dues of teaching and non-teaching staff of Flourspar Primary School and the school be handed to the Ministry of Education and call for preservation of cultural sites which according to the report, had been interfered with during mining.
Leaders from the area welcomed the team’s recommendation terming the reopening of the mining company as ‘long overdue’.
Soy North MCA Simon Chepseba and his Soy South counterpart Jonah Tanui said since the company closed, poverty levels have gone up in the area since it was a major employer offering both direct and indirect jobs.
The governor said the report will be presented to the Cabinet Secretary for Mining for further action, adding that the CS will be visiting the place soon to see for himself the state of the company and issues being raised by the locals especially on compensation.
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