Kenya is poised to re-enter the international fluorspar market by June this year after the discovery of millions of tonnes of high-grade, commercially viable fluorspar deposits in the Kimwarer area of Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The discovery was made following extensive geological exploration conducted by Sofax Fluorspar, the investor leading the project.
The investor managed to identify 12 major sites with potential for yielding high-grade fluorspar after a comprehensive geological work done in the 9,000 acres.
The confirmed commercially viable resource is estimated to be at least 18 million tonnes.
The Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Mining, Elijah Mwangi, stated that Kenya was determined to reclaim her slot as a leading fluorspar producer in Africa, joining the league of the continent’s prime exporters, including South Africa and Morocco.
“We want to expedite the revival of this facility and allow Kenya to reclaim her slot as a leading exporter of fluorspar to the international mineral market. This is a goal we are achieving as soon as possible," he said.
The revival of the Fluorspar Processing Plant at a cost of Sh4.8 billion is one of the landmark projects in the mining sector.
Production proper is expected to start in June, marking the triumphant return of Kenya into the fluorspar export business after an eight-year hiatus since 2017. Mining experts predict Kenya's substantial gains from the high demand for fluorspar by developed nations.
“The global rush and transition into clean energy is a welcome boost to the fluorspar market, and Kenya is set to reclaim her market share in the export trade,” said Director of Geological Services Mr. Enoch Kipseba.
Sofax Fluorspar, the investor, plans to hit a daily processing capacity of 500 tonnes with an estimated annual fluorspar output of 120,000 tonnes.
The revival of fluorspar mining in Kenya marks a turning point for the government towards addressing critical economic issues, including job creation, promotion of exports, and improvement of social-economic welfare of communities within the region.
The PS says the revival of the fluorspar processing plant will create over 300 direct employment opportunities and 2,500 indirectly.
He also noted that through the Community Development Agreement (CDA), the local community will receive one percent of the company’s gross sales for priority projects.
“This revival of this facility is not only about the investor but more about the community’s welfare. We expect the local residents to enjoy enhanced benefits of their mineral resource,” he said.
As part of getting ready for exporting the inaugural consignment to the market, the company is in the process of acquiring a berth from Kenya Ports Authority to facilitate their shipping operations.