On 6^th October 2023, KEPSA Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Sector Board led by Eng. James Mwangi made oral presentations on KEPSA’s memorandum on the Natural Resource Benefit Sharing Bill 2022 (Senate Bill No. 6 Of 2022) to the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining at Hilton Garden Hill Hotel in Machakos County. The committee chaired by Hon. David Gikaria, M.P, was collecting views from the public and key stakeholders for consideration into the Bill.

The Bill seeks to integrate existing independent benefit-sharing schemes across sectors into one comprehensive legal framework to ensure benefits accruing from the exploitation and utilization of natural resources are distributed to both levels of government, communities, and the impacted entities.

KEPSA called for the harmonization of the Bill with existing sectoral Acts governing the determination of royalties and fees, and benefit sharing formulas. This is to safeguard the capacity of private sector enterprises to retain and attract investments in the sector, as well as achieve equal treatment of the mining, petroleum and energy sectors to which the Act applies.

KEPSA also made a case for a formula that reduces conflict between the community and impacted entities, as well as a call for a very clear and practical dispute resolution mechanism to be provided for within the Act or Regulations.

The Hon. Chair of the Committee thanked KEPSA for always taking time to participate whenever a Bill is tabled before the committee and appreciated that KEPSA’s submissions are all rounded in order to support not just the profit and private sector, but the community and the government. This aligns with sustainability goals as it encompasses People, Profit and Planet. Eng. Mwangi was accompanied by Women In Mining Director Ms Doris Mwirigi and KEPSA Legal Advisor Joyner Okonjo.

The abridged KEPSA Memorandum is accessible here;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G82Gm4vq4iVtk4sdkkji0CviXPJhUK4E/view?usp=sharing