Ministry Of Mining Kenya

What Ministry Of Mining Kenya does

The State Department for Mining, operating under the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, is the government body responsible for regulating Kenya's mining sector. Established in January 2023 via Executive Order No. 1 (previously housed under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining), the department provides leadership in managing Kenya's extractives sector through policy development, mineral resource inventory and mapping, and capacity building for mining sector management. Its mandate is grounded in the Mining Act, 2016, which governs licensing, regulatory compliance, and sector administration.

The department's core service portfolio includes the Mining Cadastre Portal (portal.miningcadastre.go.ke) for online mining rights administration, Geological Survey Services providing mineral assessment reports on Niobium, Rare Earth Elements, Copper, Coltan, Chromium, and Manganese across various counties, Mineral Laboratory Services for mineral analysis and testing, Licensing Services including the designation of areas for award by tender, Document Issuance and Verifications, and public Dissemination of Mining and Geological Information. Supplementary resources include the Critical Mineral Catalogue and Kenya Mining Handbook, both accessible via QR codes. The MICE (Kenya Mining Investment Conference & Expo) serves as the flagship investment promotion platform, with the 2026 edition scheduled for April 28-29, 2026 at the Argyle Grand Hotel, Nairobi.

The department does not operate on a commercial revenue model; it is publicly funded through government appropriation. Fees for licensing, laboratory services, geological surveys, and document issuance are determined under the Mining Act, 2016 framework but are not publicly itemized. Its stakeholders span four primary segments: Mining Investors, Mining Companies, Development Partners, and Mining Communities. Key partnerships include the National Mining Corporation (a related state corporation), the British Geological Survey-hosted National Geodata Centre for geospatial data management, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for environmental compliance, and the Africa Minerals Geosciences Centre for regional coordination. Harry Kimtai serves as Principal Secretary of the State Department.

Name

Ministry Of Mining Kenya

Legal name

State Department For Mining

Website

https://mining.go.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The State Department for Mining is a Kenyan government entity that regulates the mining sector through licensing, geological survey services, mineral resource mapping, and the Mining Cadastre Portal, serving mining investors, companies, development partners, and communities under the Mining Act, 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Mining Regulation

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAMAJ

Minerals, Mining & Geologic Resources Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

SECONDARYIMAKAFAN

ESG, Traceability & Certification Services (Responsible Sourcing)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Metals & Mining/Battery & Critical Minerals Mining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Graphite, Manganese, Rare Earths)

Keywords

• Government mining regulation
• Mining licensing services
• Geological survey services
• Mineral resource management
• Mining sector oversight

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The State Department for Mining regulates Kenya's mining sector under the Mining Act, 2016, providing mining licensing, geological survey services, mineral laboratory analysis, document issuance and verifications, and dissemination of mining and geological information. It also hosts the MICE investment conference as the flagship mining investment promotion platform for the country.

Product overview

The Ministry Of Mining Kenya operates through the State Department for Mining, a government ministry established under Executive Order No. 1 of January 2023 within the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs. The portfolio consists of the core government services including the Mining Cadastre Portal for mining rights administration, geological survey and mineral laboratory services, licensing, and document verification. The MICE (Kenya Mining Investment Conference & Expo) serves as the flagship investment promotion platform, supported by resources like the Critical Mineral Catalogue and Kenya Mining Handbook. The ministry provides leadership in developing mining policies, inventorying mineral resources, and managing programmes in Kenya's extractives sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MICE (Kenya Mining Investment Conference & Expo) Kenya's premier mining investment platform bringing together policymakers, global investors, mining companies, financial institutions, development partners, technology providers and mining communities to explore opportunities in Kenya's mineral sector. It is structured around four strategic pillars: Investment and Project Development, Policy Regulation and Governance, Sustainable and Responsible Mining, and Value Addition Technology and Innovation.
• Mining Cadastre Portal Online portal for mining cadastre services providing transparency and efficiency in mining rights administration in Kenya, enabling license applications, cadastral management, and regulatory submissions.
• Geological Survey Services Government service providing geological survey and mineral assessment, including geological reports on minerals such as Niobium, Rare Earth Elements, Copper, Coltan, Chromium, and Manganese across counties including Kamacabi (Tharaka Nithi), Kiritiri (Embu), Mrima Hills (Kwale), Nachola (Samburu), and Lali Hills (Tana River).
• Mineral Laboratory Services Laboratory services for mineral analysis and testing, supporting mineral characterization for the mining sector.
• Licensing Services Services related to issuance and management of mining licenses under the Mining Act, 2016, including the designation of areas for award by tender and ongoing licensing administration.
• Document Issuance and Verifications Services for the issuance and verification of mining-related documents for sector stakeholders and investors.
• Dissemination of Mining and Geological Information Public dissemination of mining and geological information and data to support sector stakeholders and investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Positioned as key player in global mineral value chain

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered parent ministry, related state corporation, technical partner, regulatory partner, regional partner and sister state department.

• Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy & Maritime Affairsparent ministryOthersParent ministry under which the State Department for Mining operates, established via Executive Order No. 1 of January 2023.
• National Mining Corporationrelated state corporationOthersRelated government corporation within the mining sector ecosystem.
• National Geodata Centre (BGS)technical partnerTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partnership for geospatial data and geological information management, hosted by British Geological Survey.
• National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)regulatory partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental regulatory partnership for mining environmental impact assessments and compliance.
• Africa Minerals Geosciences Centre (AMGC)regional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional minerals and geosciences center serving African member states.
• State Department for Maritime Affairssister state departmentOthersSister state department under the same ministry focused on maritime affairs.
• State Department for Blue Economysister state departmentOthersSister state department under the same ministry focused on blue economy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• National Mining Corporation (Kenya): Kenya's state-owned mining corporation listed as a related entity in the State Department's partnership ecosystem. Functions as the operational arm executing state mining interests, while the State Department regulates — together forming Kenya's public mining sector architecture.

Direct peers

• Ministry of Mines (DRC): DRC's Ministry of Mines regulates the mining sector in the DRC, including licensing and geological information dissemination. A direct regional peer competing for the same critical minerals (especially cobalt and copper) capital flows.
• Ministry of Minerals and Energy (Botswana): Botswana's minerals and energy ministry regulates mining sector activities including licensing and geological data. Direct functional peer competing for the same exploration and development capital in Southern Africa.
• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (Uganda): Uganda's ministry regulates mining sector development with similar mandate. Direct regional peer in East Africa with overlapping mineral endowments including cobalt, copper, and rare earths.
• Ministry of Mines and Mining Development (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe's mining ministry performs the same regulatory functions over licensing, mineral resource management, and geological information. Direct regional peer with a long mining history but recent policy uncertainty.
• Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development (Zambia): Zambia's mining regulatory ministry with overlapping mandate on licensing, geological surveys, and mining sector development. Comparable in function; Zambia has a far more mature copper mining sector that competes for similar critical minerals investment.
• Minerals Commission (Ghana): Ghana's minerals sector regulator with comparable mandate over licensing, geological data, and mining sector governance. Functions as a West African counterpart with a longer-established gold mining sector.
• Ministry of Minerals (Tanzania): Direct peer as the Tanzanian government ministry responsible for mining sector regulation, licensing, and geological data — essentially the same mandate as Kenya's State Department for Mining but in a neighboring East African jurisdiction with a more established mining sector.
• Ministry of Mines and Energy (Namibia): Namibia's mining and energy ministry regulates the country's mining sector, including licensing and geological information. Direct peer operating in a competing Southern African jurisdiction with significant diamond, uranium, and rare earth deposits.
• Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (South Africa): South Africa's DMRE regulates mining rights, licensing, and mineral resource management in a far more mature jurisdiction. A direct functional peer, though operating in a substantially larger and more developed mining economy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministry-of-mining-kenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ministry Of Mining Kenya