Stakeholder Engagement Following a High-Profile Discovery
In late November 2025, following confirmation of a significant gold discovery in Kenya’s Kakamega region, Shanta Gold continued stakeholder consultations with local communities and authorities. As exploration momentum builds, the company has focused on early engagement to explain the scope of activities, address community concerns, and begin managing expectations associated with a potential future mining project. At this stage, dialogue remains exploratory, reflecting the project’s position between discovery and formal development planning.
Managing Expectations in an Early LTO Phase
Early-stage discoveries often generate rapid local expectations around employment, infrastructure, and economic opportunity. In Kakamega, this dynamic places community engagement at the center of License to Operate formation, even before technical and permitting milestones are defined. For both the company and local stakeholders, the challenge lies in aligning geological potential with realistic timelines and outcomes. Failure to calibrate expectations at this phase can translate into tension later, particularly if exploration cycles slow or project scopes change.
Why Early Engagement Shapes Long-Term Prosperity Outcomes
From a longer-term perspective, Kakamega illustrates how LTO is constructed long before production decisions are made. Effective early engagement provides a foundation not only for social acceptance, but for future pathways to stakeholder prosperity—through skills development, local procurement, and institutional coordination. As Kenya positions itself to attract mining investment, cases like Shanta Gold’s Kakamega project underscore that discovery alone does not define success; the credibility of the relationship built with local communities will ultimately shape whether mineral potential evolves into durable regional value.