The United States has secured a preliminary agreement with Kenya to access one of Africa’s largest untapped rare earth and niobium deposits, valued at about $62.4 billion (Sh9.7 trillion), marking a strategic win for Washington in its intensifying competition with China over critical minerals.
Kenya's President William Ruto announced the deal on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, highlighting Kenya’s push to reshape how it monetises its natural resources.
The agreement centres on the Mrima Hill deposit in Kwale County and requires that all strategic minerals be processed domestically, a major shift from the traditional export of raw materials.
William Ruto told Reuters that the agreement covering rare earths and other strategic minerals was already in advanced discussions and could be concluded soon, as Kenya moves closer to securing a landmark minerals partnership with the United States.
“We have agreed that the minerals will be processed in Kenya,” he said, following talks with G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that the arrangement reflects a shared push for local value addition rather than raw exports.
