The government has received new applications from mining companies seeking to explore for gold and other minerals in six counties.
The applications cover parts of Narok, West Pokot, Homa Bay, Kisii, Migori and Kitui, with the public now allowed to raise objections before the process moves to the next stage.
In Narok, two companies have applied for licences to mine gold in areas covering a combined 2.65 square kilometres.
Another company is seeking permission to prospect for Group C precious metals across parts of Homa Bay, Kisii and Migori. The area covered by the application measures about 321.9 square kilometres.
West Pokot has also attracted interest from mining companies, with two applications seeking to prospect for gold in areas covering a combined 546 square kilometres.
The development comes weeks after the reported discovery of gold in Cheporor village in Kanyarkwat, West Pokot.
The discovery by three boys attracted thousands of people to the area, with residents and gold seekers from different parts of Kenya and neighbouring Uganda arriving in the village in search of the precious metal.
In Kitui, a separate application has been submitted to prospect for coal in an area measuring about 319.4 square kilometres.
The applications do not mean that mining has already started in the affected areas.
Instead, they are requests for permission to carry out exploration and establish whether the areas contain commercially viable deposits.
The specific locations have been set out in the Gazette notices using cadastral blocks and geographical coordinates.
Public given time to object
People living in the affected areas have been given an opportunity to raise concerns before the licences are issued.
For the prospecting applications, objections are to be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Ali Joho within 21 days from the date of the notices.
The two gold mining licence applications in Narok have a longer period, with members of the public given 42 days to submit their objections or comments.
The fresh applications come as the government seeks to attract more investment into Kenya’s mining sector.
If commercially viable deposits are confirmed and the necessary approvals obtained, mining activities could create jobs, provide business opportunities for local communities and increase government revenue.
However, the companies will still have to go through the required approval and public participation processes before any mining operations can begin.
