Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has questioned the government’s approach to mineral resources in Kwale County, accusing President William Ruto of focusing on attracting investors while local residents are still waiting for compensation linked to previous mining activities.
Speaking during a Linda Mwananchi movement rally in Kwale on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Sifuna called for greater transparency in agreements involving the county’s mineral wealth. He said residents deserved clear information about the proposed Mrima mineral project and how the community would benefit if mining activities went ahead.
The senator argued that local people should come before investors in decisions involving resources found in their own area.
“Sisi hatuna haja na mwekezaji. Sisi tuna haja na mwananchi wa Kwale,” Sifuna said. His remarks meant that the priority should be the people of Kwale rather than the interests of investors.
Sifuna questions the Mrima mineral project
Sifuna claimed that President Ruto’s administration was seeking investors to undertake mining activities in the Mrima area. He warned that residents could miss out on the benefits of their natural resources if the agreements were not made public and the community’s interests were not protected.
He also raised concerns about the previous operations of Best Titanium. According to Sifuna, affected communities were yet to receive compensation after the company completed its activities and left the area.
He questioned why residents continued to struggle to secure payments linked to mining operations and argued that they should not have to depend on opposition politicians to raise concerns about their rights.
The Nairobi senator challenged Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani to explain what action had been taken to address the compensation issue.
Calls for transparency in mining agreements
Sifuna also criticised what he described as a lack of openness in government investment agreements. He argued that elected representatives should have access to contracts involving valuable natural resources so they can examine the terms and establish whether communities are being treated fairly.
He claimed that calls for information had sometimes been met with accusations of extortion. However, he maintained that Kenyans had a right to understand how agreements involving public resources were negotiated and who stood to benefit.
His remarks placed the proposed Mrima project within a wider discussion about community participation, accountability and the sharing of benefits from natural resource extraction.
Sifuna raises land ownership concerns
The senator further raised concerns about land ownership documents along the Coast. He alleged that some title deeds issued to residents contained maps that did not accurately show the boundaries of their land.
He warned that such discrepancies could expose families to disputes and uncertainty over property they consider their ancestral land.
Sifuna called on leaders to protect residents’ land rights and uphold constitutional principles, including transparency and accountability.
His address in Kwale focused on two major concerns: compensation for communities affected by earlier mining activities and the protection of residents’ interests in future mineral projects.
The government, mining officials and county leadership now face questions raised by the senator over compensation, land ownership and the proposed Mrima project. The claims made during the rally have not, by themselves, established the status of individual compensation cases or the final terms of any proposed mining agreement.
