Kenya to ban unprocessed gold exports, plans three new refineries

Kenya will ban exports of unprocessed gold and establish at least three refineries as the East African country moves to retain more value from its mineral resources.

President William Ruto disclosed this on Monday while speaking to reporters in Kisumu, western Kenya, saying the government would require gold and other minerals mined in the country to be processed locally before export.

Kenya joins a growing list of African countries seeking to maximise the economic value of their natural resources by increasing domestic processing and limiting the export of raw minerals. Ghana and Zimbabwe have introduced measures in recent years aimed at increasing local refining, strengthening government control over mineral trade and retaining more revenue from their resources.

What President Ruto is saying

Ruto said Kenya will make it illegal to export gold that has not been processed locally and passed through government-approved channels.

• “We’re going to make it illegal for anybody to export gold from Kenya if it’s not processed and through approved government channels,” President William Ruto told reporters in the western city of Kisumu on Monday.

He said Kenya was following the approach adopted by Ghana and Zimbabwe, adding that the policy would eventually apply beyond gold to all minerals produced in the country.

• “That’s what Ghana did and what Zimbabwe has done and that is how we are going to do it in Kenya. And not just for gold, for all minerals that we are mining in Kenya.”

Ruto also said Kenya plans to establish three gold refineries, with facilities planned for the gold-producing region of Kakamega and Nairobi. The Central Bank of Kenya will also have first priority under a planned domestic gold-purchasing programme.

Kenya’s State Department for Mining estimates that the country produces about 300 kilograms of gold monthly, equivalent to 9,645 ounces. The volume translates to about 36 billion shillings ($278 million) in unregulated transactions annually.

More than 90% of Kenya’s gold production comes from unregulated artisanal and small-scale miners, according to the department, leaving the government with an estimated 1.2 billion shillings in potential annual royalties.

Get up to speed

Ghana is also tightening controls over unprocessed gold exports as it seeks to retain more value from its gold resources and expand domestic refining.

• The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) announced on August 24 that the country would ban the export of unrefined artisanal gold dore purchased under approved off-take arrangements from September 1, 2026. The directive requires the gold to be refined locally before export.
• In August 2024, Ghana inaugurated the Royal Ghana Gold Refinery in Accra, its first refinery in which the state holds a stake.
• Ghana also began purchasing 30% of gold produced by large-scale mining companies through GoldBod from July 1, 2026, under an agreement with the Ghana Chamber of Mines. The arrangement replaced an earlier framework under which the state sought to purchase 20% of miners’ annual output.

Zimbabwe has similarly strengthened state control over gold purchases, with an arm of its central bank serving as the sole buyer of the country’s gold. Earlier this month, the country also banned some mineral exports to encourage mining companies to refine more materials locally.

What you should know

Kenya’s push for domestic mineral processing extends beyond gold, with the country also moving towards local crude oil refining.

• Dangote Industries disclosed on Monday, during the unveiling of its proposed initial public offering, that it plans to begin work on its proposed $17 billion oil refinery in Kenya by the end of September.
• Across East Africa and the wider continent, other countries are also pursuing domestic refining capacity. Mozambique is considering a proposed 200,000-barrel-per-day refinery backed by Nigerian businessman Benedict Peters, while Uganda plans to develop a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery to meet domestic demand and supply neighbouring markets around Kenya and Tanzania.
• Nigeria’s experience also highlights the potential impact of increased domestic refining capacity. Nairametrics reported in August that Nigeria’s seaborne refined petroleum exports to Europe surged by about 767% to 130,000 barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, from 15,000 b/d in 2023, as increased output from the Dangote refinery reshaped the country’s petroleum trade.

On Monday, Dangote also disclosed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery had sold out its jet fuel supply to European markets from August to September, with the remaining stock reserved for Nigeria.