Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisely Rotich has initiated plans to revive the once booming Kenya Fluorspar Company.
Revival of the company was one of the pledges that Rotich made to the people during his gubernatorial campaigns.
And to set in motion the process of fulfilling the pledge, the governor on Monday, September 12, 2022, visited Fluorspar mines to ascertain its situation.
“I am happy that the factory is still intact only waiting to roar,” he said after the visit.
It is also during the visit that the youthful county boss revealed that he had formed a seven-member taskforce committee to steer Kenya Fluorspar Company back to its operations.
The committee has been asked to report to the governor’s office in the next 30 days
Members of the committee are Soy South and Soy North Members of County Assembly (MCAs) Jonah Tanui and Simon Chepseba respectively, Sammy Chebii, Joseph Koech, Kibor Samoei, Jacob Torut and Joyce Kiplimo.
“The committee will co-opt six members from the community who will include two men, two women and two youth,” the county boss said.
Further, the governor says the committee will seek community consent on the revival of the once vibrant Mining company.
At its best, Kenya Fluorspar Company employed more than 2,000 people.
Currently, the Kenya Fluorspar Company is privately owned. It is located in Kimwarer, a village in the southern part of the Kerio Valley.
Ups and downs of Kenya Fluorspar Company
Fluorspar deposits were first discovered in the Kerio Valley in 1967, and the government established the Fluorspar Company of Kenya to exploit them on a large scale.
However, the company went into receivership in 1979, as Kenya Fluorspar, another government-owned company, bought the assets and took over operations.
Since then, it has been up and down for the company with past efforts to revive it failing to yield any fruits.
The last time there were efforts to help the company back on its feet was in January 2018 when the government set up a task force to see out the compensation of over 4,000 landowners who were displaced to make way for the company’s mining activities in the 1970s.
However, disputes among locals over the mode of compensation, with some seeking alternative land and others demanding money, as well as disagreements between locals and state officials over the amount owed, have delayed the process.
The Elgeyo Marakwet governor notes that the Fluorspar in Kerio Valley can be mined for the next 30 years.
“I have engaged other leaders led by our Senator and MPs, and all are in agreement that the factory which was of great benefit to our people should be brought back to life. The factory had one of the best schools in the country and a modern health facility. Fluorspar shall be back!” Rotich noted.
