This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On the cards is a Sh50 million gemstone centre in Voi, Taita Taveta, which will transform the industry not only in the county but also in neighbouring Makueni, Kitui, and Kwale.
According to the mining ministry, Kenya produced 22,956 carats of cut or processed gemstones in 2017 worth Sh128.6 million.
However, the quantity of uncut gemstones has dropped significantly from 518 tonnes in 2013 to 124.3 tonnes in 2017, worth Sh238 million, down from Sh936 million the previous year.
The centre, one of the government's mining flagship projects, will provide a range of services including stone cutting and polishing, banking, a gemstone laboratory, and a buying centre.
August 12, 2019, marked a significant milestone in the government's move to ban the export of uncut gemstones, which was set for 2018.
