This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
On July 6, 2020, Kenya took a significant step towards reducing its mercury usage in gold mining. Consultancy firm EcoCentric has been working with small-scale miners across the country to adopt safer extraction methods.
According to EcoCentric director Edward Ndirangu, the firm has been successful in convincing many miners to shift from mercury-assisted wash plant processes to safer methods such as gravity concentration.
"EcoCentric will continue to provide support during this growth phase to ensure a shift to mercury-free gold production systems and increasing yield for miners," said Mr Ndirangu.
Kenya became a signatory to the Minamata Convention in October 2013, which discourages the use of mercury in mining. However, the country has been slow to develop a legal framework to encourage the uptake of mercury-free mining.
As a signatory to the Minamata Convention, Kenya is eligible to draw from the $45 million Global Environmental Facility (GEF) grant funding for mercury-free policy development.
One of the groups of small-scale miners working with EcoCentric is the Migori County Artisanal Miners Cooperative Society.
