President William Ruto speaks to residents during his tour of Kisumu County on September 14, 2026. / FAITH MATETEThe government would make it illegal to export gold unless it has been processed locally and passed through approved government channels, President William Ruto has said.
“We are going to stop the export of gold from Kenya unless it is processed,” Ruto said.
Speaking during a media engagement at the Kisumu State Lodge on Monday, Ruto said the government was moving to reorganise the mining sector and ensure Kenya captures more value from its mineral resources instead of allowing middlemen, brokers and other intermediaries to exploit local miners.
Ruto said the Central Bank of Kenya would be positioned as the first point of sale for gold mined in the country, allowing the government to establish transparent pricing and curb exploitation.
“We want the gold that is being mined in Kenya to be processed in Kenya, and we want the Central Bank of Kenya to be the first point of sale for gold that is coming from Kenya,” he said.
The President said many small-scale miners were currently being exploited by middlemen and brokers, denying them the full value of their production.
He said the new approach would be extended beyond gold to other minerals being extracted in Kenya.
“We must be certain, and I think we already have three refineries. We have one that is being developed right here in Kakamega, just a few kilometres from here, and we have others in Nairobi being developed so that we can refine all our gold in Kenya,” Ruto said.
He said the government's minerals strategy would cover resources including gold, coltan and rare earth minerals.
Ruto also linked the minerals agenda to Kenya's oil reserves in Turkana, saying the country needed to shift its focus from resources above ground to the wealth beneath its soil.
“It is time for us now to focus on what is below,” he said.
The President said the government was in talks with Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote over the construction of a crude oil pipeline linking the Turkana oil fields to Lamu.
He said the pipeline would complement plans to develop an oil refinery in Lamu, with construction expected to be launched on September 30.
Ruto said he had given firm instructions to the Ministry of Mining to reorganise the sector and ensure mineral resources contribute more directly to Kenya's economic development.
He cited Ghana and Zimbabwe as examples of countries that had tightened controls on the export of unprocessed minerals.
The proposed measures could mark a significant shift in Kenya's mining policy, from exporting raw minerals towards domestic processing, value addition and greater state oversight of mineral trading.
