On 30^th October 2023, a delegation led by Eng. James Mwangi - KEPSA Director (Energy & Professional Services), comprising of the KEPSA Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Sector Board and the Energy Sector Board members conducted a site visit at the Base Titanium Facility in Kwale County. The purpose of the site visit was to give members insights on best practices on the mining operations of Base Titanium and their environmental conservation efforts to better understand the Mining and Energy sectors while aligning with the mutually established knowledge integration agenda.

Leading the Base Titanium team, Denham Vickers, appreciated the time members had taken to visit their facility noting that they hoped that the environmental conservation efforts, the actions towards corporate social responsibility and the challenges that would be observed would be instrumental towards formulating concrete policy advocacy agenda for the sector boards to engage to ensure that there is growth and development of the energy and mining sectors.

The following were the key highlights;

• Out of the 0.8% GDP contribution of the Mining Sector, Base Titanium constituted 65% of the Mining Sector Value making its operations crucial.
• Base Titanium had significantly bolstered Kenya's economic landscape, encompassing KES 26 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the creation of 4,495 job opportunities, consistent annual procurement of KES 3.7 billion from local enterprises, and a cumulative tax contribution of KES 23 billion throughout the duration of the mine's operations.
• In line with the government’s environmental conservation agenda, it was noted that Base Titanium managed the largest indigenously diverse nursery in Africa. Additionally, the company procured more than 50,000 seedlings each month from the local community, which were then utilized for the rehabilitation of previously mined areas.
• The company has also made substantial contributions to the local community by investing in social infrastructure, including the establishment of water point facilities, provision of feeding and health programs, support for livelihood initiatives such as poultry farming and beekeeping, and the implementation of education scholarship programs that have benefited 3,500 students

It was noted that the company was unable to scale the mineral exploration initiatives due to the significant reduction in mineral quantities in the site as well as the 4-year moratorium which restricted potential exploration initiatives.

In conclusion, Eng. Mwangi acknowledged the vital role of Base Titanium as the major contributor to the mining sector. In light of the end of the moratorium, he challenged the Sector Board members to provide amicable solutions that would not only retain the profitable GDP contribution by Base Titanium and other mining firms but also establish ways to retain the existing employment present in the facility while concurrently creating additional employment opportunities.