Kenya to set up gold refineries to help small miners

SMM10, 22 March: Kenya's Ministry of Petroleum and Mining Resources said on Friday that the country plans to build a gold refinery to help small-scale miners in the west of the country. The Government is seeking consultants to advise on its construction.

The new smelter will provide services to help vulnerable, manual and small-scale miners and other local producers meet international standards, the MIIT said in a statement.

"the project is to improve community benefits, the regional economy and the development of the Kenyan economy as a whole," the Kenyan Ministry of Petroleum and Mines said. The smelter will also create new jobs, the company added.

Although Kenya is a small gold producer, it has attracted large mining investors such as London-listed Goldplat Plc. The most successful mining business in Kenya is Base Titanium, a subsidiary of Base Resources. In 2014, Base Titanium established and put into production a $305 million gold project in Kwale County, South Coast.

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