𝐎𝐃𝐏𝐏 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) today hosted a delegation from the State Department for Mining, led by Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, for a discussion focused on strengthening collaboration in the fight against illegal mining activities across key counties, including Taita Taveta (Voi), Kakamega, Siaya, Kwale, Kitui, Vihiga, and Bungoma.

PS Maina emphasized the rising concerns over illegal mining in Kenya and called for more robust interventions to address the issue. He urged the public to ensure they acquire the necessary licenses before engaging in any mining operations.

DPP Renson Ingonga advocated for the organization of community sensitization forums. He stressed that such initiatives would be crucial in educating the public about the laws governing the sector, while also providing them with the opportunity to better understand the legal and regulatory processes.

The DPP assured the PS that his office remains committed to tackling illegal mining with the utmost seriousness, emphasizing that all such cases will be thoroughly pursued to their conclusion.

The DPP also recommended the use of prosecution-guided investigations, highlighting that this approach would lead to the collection of strong, reliable evidence necessary for successful prosecution.

In terms of capacity building, both the DPP and PS agreed to facilitate joint training sessions for investigators from the Ministry of Mining and prosecutors. These sessions aim to enhance their understanding of various minerals and the procedures involved in managing mining-related cases.

Additionally, the two officials agreed to establish liaison offices between their institutions to streamline information exchange and improve the efficiency of responding to mining incidents.