A private investor is seeking government approval to conduct gold mining activities on approximately 475 acres of land in Narok County, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho formally notified the public that the ministry had received the application through Gazette Notice No. 13785 dated July 30, 2026.
The application, registered as ML/2026/0451, covers an area measuring 1.9232 square kilometres, equivalent to about 475 acres. The proposed mining area consists of nine cadastral blocks, with gold listed as the mineral targeted by the applicant.
The Gazette notice was issued pursuant to Section 34 of the Mining Act, which provides for the processing of applications for mining licences.
The proposed site is located within Narok County, although the notice defines the precise area through geographical coordinates covering the nine cadastral blocks.
Importantly, publication of the application does not mean the investor has already received permission to mine the land. The notice confirms that the government has received the application and initiated the process through which it will be considered.
The Ministry has also made details of the application available through its Mining Cadastre portal, where members of the public can access information relating to mining rights and applications.
According to the Gazette notice, the applicant is identified simply as a private investor, with a postal address listed at Sarit Center in Nairobi.
The identity of the investor is not disclosed in the notice.
The application is now subject to public participation before the government determines whether the mining licence should be granted.
Members of the public have been given 42 days from the date of the notice to submit comments regarding the application.
People and communities that could be affected by the proposed mining operation are also entitled to formally oppose the application. Objections must be submitted within 21 days from the date of the notice.
The objections are to be directed to the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs through the ministry's offices at Works Building along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
The public participation process provides residents and other interested parties with an opportunity to raise environmental, land-use, community or other concerns associated with the proposed mining activities before a final decision is reached.
The application comes as the government continues efforts to expand Kenya's mining industry and increase the contribution of mineral resources to the country's economy.
Gold mining already takes place in several parts of Kenya, particularly in western regions, while exploration activities continue in other areas believed to contain commercially viable deposits.
The Narok application could potentially expand gold mining activity into another part of the country if exploration confirms commercially viable deposits and the investor receives the necessary regulatory approvals.
Any eventual mining operation would still be subject to Kenya's mining regulations and other applicable requirements before commercial activities could begin.
For now, the 475-acre area remains the subject of a mining licence application rather than an approved mining project. The government's final decision will follow the regulatory process and consideration of feedback submitted during the public participation period.