INVESTMENTS in Kenya’s mining sector must create jobs for the people and build wealth for the country including benefit to communities, Mining and Blue Economy CS Hassan Joho has said.
This, even as he calls on international and local investors to tap into the vast mining industry in the country, noting that Kenya is well endowed with minerals but majority remain untapped.
“The choice we have as a government is do we want to procrastinate, talk about how wealthy we are and remain poor, or we want to build prosperity. Kenya is not only ready to unlock the potential but wants to participate in different aspects of the global mining sector,” Joho said.
He spoke in Nairobi on Friday during the US-Kenya Critical Supply Chains Conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the US Embassy in Nairobi.
“We want a win-win situation,” said Joho, noting that Kenya has identified both strategic and critical minerals as it moves to build the mining industry into becoming a major driver of the economy.
Kenya last year officially declared 14 minerals as strategic and critical, focusing on rare earths, coltan, copper, lithium, niobium, nickel and radioactive materials, primarily to drive its green energy transition, boost the economy and attract high-value investment.
These resources, notably in Mrima Hill (Kwale county) and western regions, are key to global tech and EV supply chains.
Kenya is emerging as a strategic hub for critical minerals essential to the global green energy transition with a major focus currently being the high-grade niobium and rare earths at Mrima Hill.
There has also been a discovery of large gold deposits in Western Kenya which has attracted investor interests.
The country is keen to become a global supplier of these critical minerals through mining and local value addition, as opposed to exporting raw minerals for processing abroad. The US, Australia and China are some countries that have shown intrest in Mrima Hill.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said his agrees with Kenya on shared prosperity, referring to President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy which seeks to benefit the American people, even as the US builds beneficial “win-win” bilateral relations.
“We need to show our people that we are making their lives better, same with Kenya, we expect every country to put its own people first,” Landau said, When your people benefit, the country moves forward.”
“Diplomacy is knowing what your interests are and the empathy of understanding what your counterpart’s interest are.”
AmCham Kenya CEO Maxwell Okello noted that the global supply chains are being reimagined and Kenya stands well-positioned to seize the moment.
“But realising that potential will require clear policies, predictable regulation and strong partnerships between our governments and the private sector that enable collaboration, and a business environment that drives economic growth,” Okello said.
CS Joho said the country has put in place the right policies that support investments, including the mining sector and ensure that the national government, counties and the community benefit, even as investors make returns on their investments.
Kenya is planning to increase its mining sector contribution from a mare one per to 10 per cent of the GDP by 2030.
The country is levering on geophysical surveys to map mineral potential, including in forested areas, offering data-driven opportunities to investors while balancing strict environmental regulations.
Opportunities include commercial forestry, eco-tourism, and structured natural resource extraction, supported by government incentives, public-private partnerships, and digital monitoring tools.
The government is keen to attract foreign investment through competitive incentives, including up to 150 per cent investment allowances, 10-year tax loss carry-forwards, and VAT, import duty exemptions on specialised equipment.
Key perks also feature streamlined licensing, free foreign ownership, royalty sharing and geological data support for critical minerals.
by MARTIN MWITA
