Eastern Africa Mining and Energy Conference (EAMEC), which will take place from October 12th to 14th, 2021 at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, is Eastern Africa’s largest and only international and local Mining and Energy forum. It is designed to bring together key players in the mining, oil, and gas sectors for focused dialogue exploring the immense opportunities that Eastern Africa’s extractives and energy sectors offer. The Ministry of Petroleum and Mining has endorsed and sponsored the conference, which will provide a good chance for the public and private sectors in the extractives and energy sectors to network and debate any actions targeted at increasing and strengthening the sectors.
“As a Government, we are alive and cognizant that the extractive industry is economically important to the Eastern Africa region. It provides employment, dividends, and taxes that help governments deliver services to its citizen on one hand and offers returns to investors” Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining, John Munyes expressed in his welcoming statement. “ Realizing the economic benefits and wealth generated by mining for many producing countries, we have initiated appropriate legal framework that is supportive to the communities and citizens and also the investors. The reforms and status updates shall be presented during the conference” He continued.
Building on the success of the Kenya Mining Forum that has been hosted by the Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) for the last eight years, the conference sessions will include plenary and carefully selected break-out sessions that will centre on the principal issues facing the East African extractive sector today and in the future. “Industry leaders, in particular, will take a closer look at the evolution and direction of the market and balance views on the ever-critical traditional and new policies and legislation, infrastructure plans and technology maximization” Mr Moses Njeru CEO of KCM conveyed.
The growing importance of the extractive industry in the region calls for more attention to be given to the social, economic and political dimensions of the sector. In a circular dated February 17, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, “To promote the sustainable development of the extractives sector, the State Department for Mining has been merged with the State Department for Petroleum; and has been reestablished as a single State Department within the Ministry of Petroleum & Mining.” EAMEC provides a conducive platform for players in the sector to deliberate on how best to explore and exploit the potential of the extractive in a sustainable manner for the mutual benefit of the region and the investors.
The conference will be conducted virtually and face-to-face observing Ministry of Health and WHO COVID-19 protocols.