National Treasury that is supposed to send us the money that is to be disbursed to locals and county governments. We shall be working with the Treasury to get a framework for the same,” Minister John Munyes said in May during a visit to Kwale.
Meanwhile, the Kwale Youth Assembly (KYA) pointed out that the prolonged delay in releasing the funds is hurting the development of the local community. “We are not just looking at it as royalties, but how such a huge amount of money is going to aid in development, especially in rural areas,” Mwakitoa Kassim, an official of the group, said.
According to the KYA, the money is expected to be invested in youth-led projects, with the aim of curbing widespread insecurity arising out of unemployment and poverty. “This is the money we need to empower ourselves and develop various sectors in our county. Unfortunately, such resources are taken from our land as residents struggle,” KYA president Rashid Ali Mwabagizo noted.
Youth Assembly comprises young people from the sub-counties of Kwale who meet to discuss social challenges and other issues affecting them. The group’s call for the release of the mining royalties comes amid plans to organise a sitting with the Finance and Land and Natural Resources committees of the National Assembly to address this and many other issues which they face.
