The United States said on Wednesday it would support Kenya in developing a transparent critical minerals sector with local processing and value addition.
Kenya is considering bids to develop the Mrima Hill deposit on its coast, believed to contain rare earth minerals and niobium worth tens of billions of dollars.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Frank Garcia said Washington was ready to help Kenya attract legitimate investment, protect local communities and strengthen global supply chains. President William Ruto welcomed the commitment, saying the responsible development of rare earth elements, titanium, graphite, lithium and niobium would create jobs.
US firm Critical Metals Corp and Australia’s RareX said in July that they had been shortlisted for the Mrima Hill project, although the Kenyan government has not published an official list. Mr Ruto told Reuters in June that Kenya and the US were close to concluding a critical minerals agreement, but neither country provided an update on Wednesday.
The US initiative forms part of Washington’s efforts to reduce reliance on China, which dominates global rare earth supply chains and has tightened export controls in recent years.