The cost of Mining Licences and Permits in Kenya
Discover the costs of mining licenses and permits in Kenya, including application fees, renewal fees, annual ground rents, transfer fees, royalties and levies.
1. Mining Rights Fee and Charges
A mineral right allows for exploration, prospecting, or mining of minerals within a specified area of land in Kenya.
1.2 Mining Rights New or Renewal Application Fees
Application fee are paid when submitting a new or renewal application to the State Department for Mining for consideration.
| Application type | Old (KES) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reconnaissance Permit | - | 5,000 |
| 2 | Reconnaissance Licence | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| 3 | Prospecting Permit | 1,000 | 7,000 |
| 4 | Prospecting Licence | 50,000 | 500,000 |
| 5 | Retention Licence | 50,000 | 500,000 |
| 6 | Artisanal Mining Permit | - | 2,000 |
| 7 | Mining Permit | 1,000 | 7,000 |
| 8 | Mining Licence | 50,000 | 500,000 |
| 9 | Mine Support Services | - | 5,000 |
Mine Support Services is not a mineral right. A mine support services license allows the holder to provide services on behalf of a mineral rights holder, including drilling, blasting, mineral exploration, assaying, contract mining, ore transport, and ore processing among others.
1.2 Mining Rights Annual Ground Rents
Annual ground rents are periodic payment made by the holder of a mineral right to the government for the use of the land designated for mining activities.
| Mineral Right | Old (KES) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reconnaissance Permit | - | 20,000 |
| 2 | Reconnaissance Licence | - | - |
| 3 | Prospecting Permit | - | 20,000 |
| 4 | Prospecting Licence |
2,500 per Km
2
(Min 50,000) |
3,000 per Km
2
(Min 500,000) |
| 5 | Retention Licence | - |
6,000 per Km
2
(Min 500,000) |
| 6 | Artisanal Mining Permit | - | 10,000 |
| 7 | Mining Permit | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| 8 | Mining Licence |
2,000 per Ha
(Min 500,000) |
2,500 per Ha
(Min 500,000) |
1.3 Mining Rights Transfer Fees
A some mineral rights and mine support service licence can be transferred to another party on approval Cabinet Secretary of mining.
| Application type | Old (KES) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospecting Permit | - | 100,000 |
| 2 | Prospecting Licence | - |
50,000 per Km
2
(Min 5,000,000) |
| 3 | Artisanal Mining Permit | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| 4 | Mining Permit | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| 5 | Mining Licence |
2,500 per Ha
(Min 500,000) |
1,000,000 |
| 6 | Mine Support Services | - | 50,000 |
Besides the transfer fees, the holder must pay capital gain tax to Kenya Revenue Authority.
2. Dealers Rights Fee and Charges
A mineral dealer’s license or permit, authorizes the holder to engage in various mineral dealings. These include buying, selling, and bartering minerals, as well as depositing or receiving minerals as a pledge or security. It also covers activities such as cutting, polishing, processing, refining, and treating minerals.
2.1 Dealer’s New or Renewal Application Fees
Application fee are paid when submitting a new or renewal application to the State Department for Mining for consideration.
| Application type | Old (KES) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Dealers Processing Licence | Precious metals and base metals | 100,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Processing Licence | Gemstone Faceting | 5,000 | |
| 2 | Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Industrial and Construction minerals | 5,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Precious Stones | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Semi-Precious Stones | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Base and Rare Metals | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Precious Metals | 5,000 | |
| 3 | Mineral Dealers Permit | Industrial and Construction minerals | 2,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Precious Stones | 2,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Semi-Precious Stones | 2,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Base and Rare Metals | 2,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Precious Metals | 2,000 | |
| 4 | Mineral Dealers (Jewelers) Licence | - | 1,000 |
| 5 | Mineral Export Permit (processing fee) | - | 1,000 |
| 6 | Mineral Movement Permit | - | - |
Various dealers licences fee depend on the mineral selected. The export permit is paid during export on consignment bases.
2.2 Dealer’s Licence Annual Fees
| Application type | Old (KES) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Dealers Processing Licence | Precious metals and base metals | 500,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Processing Licence | Gemstone Faceting | 50,000 | |
| 2 | Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Industrial and Construction minerals | 50,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Precious Stones | 20,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Semi-Precious Stones | 20,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Base and Rare Metals | 500,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Trading Licence | Precious Metals | 200,000 | |
| 3 | Mineral Dealers Permit | Industrial and Construction minerals | 20,000 |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Precious Stones | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Semi-Precious Stones | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Base and Rare Metals | 5,000 | |
| Mineral Dealers Permit | Precious Metals | 5,000 | |
| 4 | Mineral Dealers (Jewelers) Licence | - | 20,000 |
Mineral Dealers Trading Licence and Mineral Dealers Permit is valid for one calendar year - term Expires on 31st day of December
3. Other Fee and Charges
3.1 Mineral Development Levy
| Mineral(s) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All minerals (except salt) | 1% of gross sale value |
| 2 | Salt | 0.5% of gross sale value |
| 3 | Cement | 0.5% of gross sale value |
3.2 Document Perusal Fees
| Mineral(s) | New (KES) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perusal of documents (per hour or part thereof) | 2,000 |
| 2 | Copy of licence/permit document | 2,000 |
| 3 | Evidentiary certificate, per document | 2,000 |
| 4 | Any other document, per page | 100 |
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