Who is fooling who in the MUI Coal mines concession?

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The recent political drama on the coal mining in Kitui County might end up scaring away the investors. This has almost caused eyebrows on what are the benefits of the devolved system of government. Following the Mui Basin coal mine story might be interesting but some times the critical part of it might be void in the essence that this county might be torn into two over the same.

 According to a lawyer based in Nairobi it is the duty of every residents of Mui to join a company so as to benefit from their resources. That was way back in 2011 before the concession was given in December last year in what according to Mutito Mp Kiema Kilonzo “outlanders” of the great lakes company which according to the legislator is foreign if the county system of government is anything to go by.

Former Kitui central DC Mr. Joshua Chepchieng

But what happened to Mui Mines and Minerals Ltd which according to Mutua was the best entity to help the locals in compensation negotiations? That is a question that you and I agree on that is necessary to alleviate the problem that is culminating among the political class in the county that I believe is sitting on a huge resource.

“Kitui County should not be a factor of disintegration especially at a time Kenya is heading for a devolved system of governance,” said Geologist Joseph Ndolo during an energy workshop in kitui. Time is moving so fast and the ministry of energy might have acted in a way that you and I will agree, it was because of national interest as it has always been.

Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi was quoted having said, “You are sitting on black gold and we want this coal to be a blessing and not a curse. The mining of the coal would improve your welfare as well as the economy of the country.”

What is the ministry of energy is doing should not be like it is but who is fooling who?

Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo has severally said that the energy ministry has been silent on who owns the company which was given the local concession.

" we learned to our shock that a firm- the Great Lakes Company owned by a Dr. Mwangi and Mr. Githinji who do not belong to the coal belt - has secretly been awarded the 30 percent equity in the parent Fenxi company."

Kiema who later on attended the energy workshop organised by the ministry of energy and attended by local business community who spoke tuff against the concession of the 30% said that he is up in arms over an alleged plan to deny residents of the coal-rich Mui basin the agreed 30 per cent stake in the minerals.

The ministry of energy on its part organised a trip for the local communities who belonged to the former Kitui and mwingi Districts to coal mines in china to see how coal is mined. Kilonzo however said that the plea by the local leaders to get to know exactly who owned the Great Lakes Company fell on deaf in the Kenya school of monetary studies conference. He added that he learned about the infamous Mr. Githinji and Dr. Mwangi in china.

Kilonzo has vowed to shoot down the coal mining project in Kitui unless the interests of the locals are guaranteed.

“We demand the Government to tell us who is this Great Lake Company and how was it was granted the contract on behalf of local people? This is distasteful by all standards,” Kiema said.

 Although it may be hard to terminate the 21 year renewable concession that was granted to the Fenxi Industry Company which is a member of the Jingu Group of China, it’s advisable for the ministry to offer alternatives to the stakeholders and the people of Kitui County. The concession of the mines dates back in 2000 10 years before Kenya promulgated a new constitution and so it might have taken several years to 
He said his group visited coal fields belonging to Fenxi Industry Mining Group that has won a contract to mine coal in Blocks C and D of the Mui coal belt and it was suspicious that the move not to award the contract to process the coal within Mui belt was ominously meant to disfranchise locals.
Chief geologist in the Ministry of Energy John Omenge has faulted the Mutito MP over the Mui Basin coal mines. According to the Omenge, Kiema should have raised the matter with the minister for Energy Kiraitu Murugi denying the involvement of the Great Lakes Company in the coal project or the awarding of the 30 percent of concession in the Fenxi Industry Mining Group.
"The truth is we have agreed that 11 percent of the concession in the mining in blocks C and D would go to the government. At the same time 23 and 21 percent of the total proceeds from Blocks C and D respectively will shared locally. The 30 percent raised by MP does not feature anywhere," cited Omenge.

Kilonzo vowed to use provisions in the Constitution to block commencement of extraction of coal on behalf of Mui residents a move that was interjected by Government chief geologist John Omenge saying he was surprised by the MP’s claims even before he briefs the ministry of their findings in China.

Water Minister Charity Ngilu later joined the quest saying that the process of concession might have not been done in manner that involved the local leaders and she added it was the duty of the Local leaders to make sure the concession is done In the right way. In a letter to the ministry of energy which was copied to the 6 members of parliament.

According to the liaison committee claims the selection, that was endorsed by Mutitu District Commissioner James Kamau, did not consultation with the residents of Zombe, Mutitu and Kitui Central divisions that lies within the Blocks A and B. a member of the liaison committee Charles Syanda had petitioned the Energy permanent secretary Patrick Nyoike to drop the names of the contentious community members from the entourage a week before the team left for china.

So far 2 teams have visited China, one that was lead by the Mwingi south MP David Musila for residents of coal Blocks C and D in April and the other lead by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo for the remaining Blocks.
Resettlement of the people who will be displaced in the Mui Basin Mines is a tricky one. According to the Commissioner of Lands Zablon Mabea the government plans to put them in eco-villages which he termed as south African highly developed type of villages.
”The government intends to move the affected people into “highly developed” settlement schemes where they will be provided with all the basic amenities,” said Zablon Mabea.
The eco-village plan is different and in fact the best as unlike the previous resettlement programmes in the country where people are given monetary compensation and left to migrate to areas of their choice.
The Energy committee, whose members are Maina Kamau (Kandara), Cyprian Omollo (Uriri) and Emilio Kathuri (Manyatta), visited the Mui Basin to assess the progress of the proposed coal mining project urged the government to carefully manage peoples’ expectations by ensuring that all the relevant stakeholders are involved and adequate public awareness is done.
Maina Kamau, vice-chair said the government to fully address all concerns and fears of massive disruptions to human activities a sentiment that was reiterated by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo saying the company should assure of any environmental hazards before it commencing its extractions.
The issue if not taken care of it might end up crippling the mining of th coal mines in kitui county. The war of words is inevitable and the ministry of energy should clear the air by giving their side of story for credibility.
Residents of Kitui County stand out to benefit from this massive mining if at all they participate and make every effort to count. Kenya should always remain united despite the exploration of minerals that might alleviate the poverty level that has been caused by lack of adequate rainfall in the south eastern part of the country.
Kenya should be careful not to be like Nigeria, it’s a country that is ranked 5^th in the oil production but its citizen live in dire poverty.