Kenya has different kinds of minerals ranging from diamonds, gold limestone among others. Recent discoveries of oil in parts of North Eastern, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet etc has also changed how the government operates. This has forced it to create two different ministries to manage mineral and petroleum respectively.
For many years, Kenya has been operating under old laws which used to govern minerals and petroleum. Both were being managed under 1942 Mining Law but since 2013, two separate ministries ie Ministry of Energy and that of Mining were created to control how the two resources were being exploited.
Since then, campaign to develop new laws started where KeNRA with its respective member organizations were deeply involved in it. This culminated to adoption of Mining Act 2016 and also Petroleum Bill is at its advanced stage to be enacted into law. Through community engagement and presentation of memorandum to both Senate and National Assembly, KeNRA managed to input greatly to this process.
Some of its member organizations which were pooled to work under this thematic areas depending on their day to day interaction with such resources include; Kwale Coast Rights Forum (CRF), Action Aid-Kenya, Ngua Mlambo Development Trust, Malindi Rights Forum (MRF), Kwale County Natural Resources Network (KCNRN) and Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education.
At international level, KeNRA has worked with a number of organisations from different countries in Africa under International Alliance on Natural Resources in Africa (Ianra) in developing a Model Mining Law which is being advocated for it adoption at Pan African state.