Kenya mining industry operational despite disrupted supply – KBC

Kenya’s nascent mining industry continues to operate despite supply chain crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Mining Principal Secretary Amb. Kirimi Kaberia says the government is engaging stakeholders in the industry to minimize the impact of the virus.

The mining industry earned the country Ksh30 billion last year according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

Industrial production in China, the world’s biggest metals consumer, took a big hit from the epidemic, with movement of people and commodities restricted in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.

Kenya’s largest mining company Base Titanium says demand for its products remain stable. China accounts for more than 55 per cent of Base’s exports.

Kaberia however says disruption in the shipping industry may have an impact on earnings from the industry.

In the December 2019 quarter, the company shipped a total of 127 thousand tons of minerals, 56.7 per cent up from 80,840 tons in quarter three.

Titanium ore minerals account for close to 70 percent of the total value of mineral export in Kenya.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows earnings from minerals increased by 6 per cent from 28.7 billion in 2017 to 30.4 billion in 2018.