Devki Group of Companies Chairman Narendra Raval.
Billionaire industrialist Narendra Raval has applied for a licence to mine iron ore on 7,371 acres in Taita-Taveta County, advancing plans to become the region’s first primary steel producer.
Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho on Friday published a gazette notice inviting objections to the proposed licence for Mr Raval’s Devki Steel Mills.
Published on October 16, 2026, the application marks a shift from prospecting to seeking authorisation for commercial extraction, potentially securing local raw materials for the company’s steel manufacturing operations.
“Pursuant to section 34 of the Mining Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs notifies receipt of an application for mining licence from Devki Steel Mills Limited, which details are set out in the schedule,” Mr Joho said in the notice.
In September 2025, Devki Steel Mills applied for a prospecting licence covering 7,610 acres, or 30.789 square kilometres, in Taita Taveta County to search for minerals, including iron ore.
The latest application advances the company’s plans to extract iron ore for its steel manufacturing operations.
The proposed licence covers 7,371 acres, or 29.83 square kilometres, slightly less than the 30.789 square kilometres covered by the prospecting application published in the Kenya Gazette on September 5, 2025.
Iron ore is used to produce primary, or virgin, steel, while secondary steel, which dominates Kenyan production, is mainly made by melting scrap metal in an electric arc furnace.
Steel made from iron ore is used in high-rise buildings, bridges, railways and structural reinforcement.
Mr Joho said anyone opposing the proposed licence had 42 days from the notice’s publication to submit objections to the Cabinet Secretary.
The proposed mining area covers the locality where Devki commissioned a Sh11 billion steel plant in 2024, linking the application to its existing investments in the county.
“Any objection by any person or community against the grant of the mining licence may be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary within forty two (42) days from the date of this notice,” the October 16, 2026, gazette notice reads.
Mr Raval is targeting primary steel production after securing an exclusive deal to export iron ore from Uganda worth Sh15 billion annually, brokered by President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni.
The proposed mine would expand Mr Raval’s presence across the steel value chain, from raw material sourcing to manufacturing. Iron ore is also used in cement production, another business under his National Cement Group.
However, his ambitions face challenges from local mining disputes.
In Taita Taveta County, leadership wrangles at Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society have stalled mining and deterred investors, highlighting governance hurdles in the sector.
Devki had planned a Sh11 billion iron ore pelletisation plant in Voi, relying heavily on Kishushe ore for processing and value addition.
However, ranch leadership disputes and questions over Devki’s mining licence threaten to delay the project.
In Uganda, the government amended its laws to lift a five-year freeze on raw and semi-processed iron ore exports, paving the way for the deal.
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