Entrenching transparency and accountability in the mining and extractives sector

General

The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) has been implementing a research-based advocacy project on the extractives industries in East Africa. In 2014, AMECEA conducted a study entitled “Righting the Injustices in the Extractive Industry”. In The study found that most potential mine sites in the region are found in places where the poor live, and they are mostly indigenous peoples but they do not benefit from the wealth beneath their land, they do not adequately and meaningfully participate in decision making process relating to exploration and extraction of minerals within their regions and existing legal frameworks are not responsive to the needs of these communities. This project has been designed to respond to the recommendations of the study and will focus on building structures at the community level through the church structures to facilitate community sensitization on the mining and extractives sector and raising their capacity to participate in decision making processes on exploration and extraction of minerals. The project will form regional networks of CSO and hold regions reflection forums to deliberate with duty bearers the pertinent questions of transparency and accountability within the mining and extractives sector. AMECEA will work with national justice and peace commissions of Kenya and Uganda. Core project areas include coordinate regional reach national advocacy campaigns on mining, comprehensive and independent review of existing mining legislation and bills before parliament that are considered inconsistent with Kenya and Uganda’s Constitutions, international human rights principles and have an impact on access to land rights and justice and will facilitate stakeholder discussions on the findings of legislative audits and recommend appropriate amendments to parliaments. The project will cover Kenya and Uganda. Intervention will be implemented at the national level in collaboration with the national bishops’ conference and the national justice and peace commissions. At the diocesan level, the project will work through the diocesan justice and peace commissions. In Kenya, the project will focus on Kwale, Kitui and Lamu counties while in Uganda, the Project will focus on Gulu and Hoima districts. The project period is three years (April 2015 to March 2018) at a budget of £60,000 for year 1, Year two £ 30,000, Year 3, 30,000. Year one project components entail organisational capacity building of AMECEA Justice and Peace department. Recruitment of appropriate personnel and equipment. A detailed project proposal and budget will be developed by staff to be recruited.