Kenya Moves to Keep Mineral Processing at Home as Great-Power Competition Intensifies

Highlights

• President Ruto is directing that gold, graphite, titanium, and other minerals be processed domestically rather than exported raw.
• The U.S. pledged support for Kenyan critical-mineral processing this week as Washington seeks supply-chain diversification from China.
• Mrima Hill's rare earths and niobium deposits make Kenya strategically significant in the global critical-minerals race.
• Kenya's dispute with Tata Chemicals signals Nairobi is serious about localization, demanding local manufacturing from soda ash resources.
• Analysts warn that banning raw exports without competitive power, technology, and infrastructure risks stranding valuable deposits.