"Build a Firm Foundation for Extractives Industry: Communique from the National Conference on Extractives"

A conference bringing together more than 120 community, women, youth, civic and religious leaders...[was]held...to promote community driven national dialogue on extractives so as to ensure responsible stewardship of natural resources. [The conference identified key challenges in the sector including;] [l]ack of a clear policy of sharing natural resources between the national and county governments and the communities...[r]ise of radicalism and growing insecurity which hinders investment in the areas where the natural resources are located...[l]ack of involvement of community members when making decisions on extractives...[and l]ack of transparency with regard to contracts between investors and the government. [To address these challenges, the conference recommended that the government domesticate the African Mining Vision]...freedom of information...participation of community members in decision making...[and] gender mainstreaming in the extractive sector...To facilitate cohesive interventions in the sector...[it] endorsed the establishment of the Haki Madini Kenya (HMK). HMK is a grassroots coalition that includes communities affected by mining, women groups, environmental and extractive sector journalists, small scale minors and other interested parties.