US pledges support for Kenya’s minerals push

A SENIOR US official said this week Washington would help Kenya build a critical minerals processing industry. The offer comes amid US-China rivalry over access to such resources, according to a report by Reuters.

Frank Garcia, assistant secretary of state for Africa, told Kenya’s American Chamber of Commerce that critical minerals were a top priority for President Trump and Secretary Rubio. Washington wanted to help Kenya build a transparent mining sector that respected communities and helped secure global supply chains, the newswire reported.

Kenya is reviewing bids to develop the coastal Mrima Hill deposit, thought to hold tens of billions of dollars in rare earth minerals and niobium, a metal used in aerospace. Six companies are on the shortlist, including two from the US, said Harry Kimtai, principal secretary at Kenya’s mining ministry. Critical Metals Corp and RareX said in July they had been shortlisted for the project.

The US International Development Finance Corporation is funding African rare earth projects as Washington tries to reduce reliance on China, the world’s leading producer, which has tightened export controls in recent years.

Kenya’s President William Ruto welcomed the US backing, saying local processing would create jobs, and that Kenya was speeding up development of rare earths, titanium, graphite, lithium and niobium.

Chris Kulukundis, a US deputy assistant secretary of state, said the two countries had agreed on the right approach and that the Mrima Hill tender was moving forward transparently. Garcia said the US favoured local processing over simply exporting raw minerals, a position China has rejected.

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