Kenya is moving to end the export of raw minerals as East Africa’s largest economy pushes to process more of its natural resources locally, create jobs and retain a greater share of their value.
President William Ruto said on September 6 that his administration was exploring ways to ensure minerals extracted in Kenya are processed locally before export.
He named gold, limestone, iron ore, graphite, titanium and soda ash among the resources targeted under the policy.
“Going into the future, our position as the government. Whether we are talking about Magadi Soda or oil or all our minerals we have taken the decision that we will no longer export raw materials. We are going to process all minerals available in Kenya,” he said.
The policy places Kenya among a growing number of African countries seeking to reduce raw mineral exports and retain more value through local processing.
