Legal insights
Mining Law
Mining law guidance for licence holders, investors, communities and contractors in Kenya. The guides cover the Mining Act 2016 framework, mineral rights and licence applications, retention licences, royalties and exports, environmental obligations and NEMA and mine closure, community land and benefit-sharing, mining joint ventures, community development agreements, and the due diligence that should precede a project. Each article explains the statutory position, the approvals involved and the records a project needs, with references to the Mining Act, NEMA and other primary sources.
Mining Community Agreements in Kenya
Mining community agreements: clarify representation, project commitments, monitoring, grievances and closure before work starts.
Read the noteMining Law in Kenya: The Mining Act 2016
Kenya's geology rewards attention. Gold in the west, gemstones in Taita Taveta, titanium along the coast and limestone across the Rift Valley have all…
Read the noteReconnaissance vs Prospecting Licences
Not every investor needs the same mineral right. The Mining Act 2016 offers a ladder of licences that correspond to the stage a project…
Read the noteCommunity Land and Mining in Kenya
Much of Kenya's mineral potential lies under or beside community land. The Community Land Act 2016 and the Mining Act 2016 place community rights,…
Read the noteMining Environmental Obligations in Kenya
No mining project in Kenya proceeds on a mineral right alone. Environmental clearance is a condition of doing business, and the obligations begin before…
Read the noteMining Joint Ventures with Kenyan Partners
Few mining ventures in Kenya are built by one party alone. Local partners bring licences, land relationships and community standing; foreign partners bring capital…
Read the noteCan Foreigners Own Mining Rights in Kenya?
One of the first questions foreign investors ask is whether they can hold mining rights in Kenya directly. The answer is nuanced: the Mining…
Read the notePrecious Metals Refining and Export Rules in Kenya
Kenya's policy direction on gold and other precious metals is clear: more value should be added before minerals leave the country. For refiners, aggregators…
Read the noteDue Diligence Buying a Mining Company
Buying a mining company in Kenya means buying its licences, its land position, its community relationships and its liabilities — some of which will…
Read the noteHow to Get a Mining Licence in Kenya
Applicants often ask how to get a mining licence in Kenya and what actually happens between submitting papers and holding a granted right. The…
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