Taita Taveta, Kenya – President William Ruto is scheduled to make a significant visit to Taita Taveta on Friday afternoon to officiate the opening of the long-awaited Gemstone Centre.
The construction of this crucial facility, which commenced in 2015 and reached completion in 2017, has faced persistent delays. Reports suggest that the contractor handed the center over to the county in 2028, yet it remained shuttered until now.
The prolonged closure of the Voi Gemstone Value Addition Centre has taken a toll on the local small-scale miners of Taita Taveta. Their concerns have mounted as the delay inadvertently facilitated the entry of middlemen into the gemstone trade, leaving the miners vulnerable due to the lack of a reliable market.
The Gemstone Center holds substantial promise for the approximately 1,500 artisanal and small-scale miners operating within the mineral-rich county. Taita Taveta’s geological riches encompass an array of minerals and precious stones, including Tsavorite, ruby, chrome tourmaline, yellow tourmaline, red garnets, green garnets, and Tanzanite. Additionally, the region boasts deposits of manganese, iron ore, marble, and limestone.
The Gemstone Center’s envisioned role is pivotal as it represents the sole facility in Kenya where value addition for minerals takes place before miners can sell their products. With the inauguration of this center, a ray of hope emerges for the local mining community as it looks forward to a more secure and profitable future.
