Kenya to Ban Unprocessed Gold Exports and Build Refineries

On Monday, President William Ruto announced that Kenya will ban the export of unprocessed gold and establish at least three gold refineries as part of a strategy to retain more value from its mineral resources. This policy mandates that gold and other minerals mined in Kenya must be processed locally before export.

Ruto indicated that the government would make it illegal to export unprocessed gold, aligning Kenya with other African nations like Ghana and Zimbabwe that have implemented similar measures to enhance local refining and government control over mineral trade. The planned refineries will be located in the gold-producing region of Kakamega and Nairobi.

The Central Bank of Kenya will have priority under a domestic gold-purchasing program. The State Department for Mining estimates that Kenya produces approximately 300 kilograms of gold monthly, translating to about 36 billion shillings ($278 million) in unregulated transactions annually, with over 90% of production coming from unregulated artisanal and small-scale miners.