Kenya to ban raw material exports, build gold refineries

President William Ruto says Kenya will ban exports of unprocessed minerals.

Gold and other minerals will have to be processed at home and moved through approved government channels before they can leave the country.

“We’re going to make it illegal for anybody to export gold from Kenya if it’s not processed and through approved government channels,” Ruto told reporters in Kisumu.

“That’s what Ghana did and what Zimbabwe has done, and not just for gold, for all minerals that we are mining in Kenya.”

The government plans at least three gold refineries, including in Kakamega and Nairobi.

The Central Bank of Kenya is expected to become the first buyer of locally refined gold, a move meant to cut out informal traders and keep more of the value in Kenya.

Ruto said a lot of gold is already leaving “through all manner of corners.” The ban is meant to stop that and extend later to other resources such as coltan and rare earths.