Devki Steel seeks iron ore prospecting licence in Taita Taveta
Known as the Devki Iron Pelletisation Plant, it sits on 2,024 hectares in Manga, Voi, near the iron-rich Kishushe zone. The facility is expected to generate about 3,000 jobs in its first phase and more than 14,000 once fully operational.
Devki Steel Mills, owned by industrialist Narendra Raval, has applied for a licence to prospect for iron ore in Taita Taveta County, marking a new step in its plan to become the first producer of primary steel in the region.
Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, through a gazette notice issued yesterday, invited objections to the application, giving individuals or communities 20 days to raise any concerns.
The notice stated: “Pursuant to section 34 of the Mining Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs notifies receipt of an application for a prospecting licence from Devki Steel Mills.”
It further added: “Any objection by any person or community against the grant of the prospecting licence may be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary within 20 days from the date of this notice.”
The proposed prospecting area measures 30.789 square kilometres in Taita Taveta, where Devki last year commissioned a Sh11 billion iron processing plant.
Known as the Devki Iron Pelletisation Plant, it sits on 2,024 hectares in Manga, Voi, near the iron-rich Kishushe zone. The facility is expected to generate about 3,000 jobs in its first phase and more than 14,000 once fully operational.
Devki’s plans to start mining iron ore in Taita Taveta have, however, faced delays due to disputes in the Kishushe area over control of mining rights. Most of the county’s deposits are magnetite, which requires large amounts of power to process.
The ore must first be concentrated and pelletised before being smelted into iron and later refined into steel.
Raval, who also runs National Cement, is a key player in Kenya’s steel industry.
His expansion now targets virgin steel production, having secured an exclusive agreement in Uganda to export iron ore worth Sh15 billion annually.
The deal, brokered by President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni, was made possible after Uganda changed its laws to lift a five-year freeze on iron ore exports.
Iron ore is also a critical raw material for cement production, which falls under Raval’s cement business. In the Kenyan market, Devki operates alongside other established steel makers, including Tononoka Group, Tarmal Steel, Bachu Industries, Insteel, Apex Steel, Steel Structures Limited, Jumbo Steel Mills, Eldoret Steel Mills, and Abyssinia Iron and Steel Limited.
