The United States and China are intensifying competition for access to Kenya's Mrima Hill rare earth and niobium deposit, estimated at $62.4 billion.
On September 21, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Kenyan President William Ruto met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss cooperation on nuclear energy, critical minerals, including Mrima Hill's niobium and rare earths.
Earlier, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia said at the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) business summit in Nairobi on September 9 that American firms would invest in on‑shore processing, worker training, technology transfer and downstream industries rather than simply "extract and ship".
Garcia framed the offer as a long‑term strategic partnership aligned with Kenya's ban on raw mineral exports.
Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai told the AmCham summit that six companies or consortia remain in contention, including two American bidders, down from 13 initial expressions of interest that also featured firms from China, Australia, the UK, Canada, Chile, India and South Korea.
Among those confirmed to have reached the final stage is the Mrima Earth Limited Consortium, led by US‑listed Critical Metals Corp, which said in July it was one of three American finalists. Two Chinese companies are also among the six, underscoring the geopolitical stakes as Washington seeks to diversify supply chains away from China's processing dominance.
Government tender documents describe Mrima Hill's indicated resources at 5.8 million tons grading 1.41% niobium oxide and 48.7 million tons grading 4.4% total rare earth oxides, with larger inferred resources, but caution that these figures are not an economic viability assessment. The widely cited $62.4bn valuation originates from a 2013 Cortec Mining Kenya assessment and reflects in‑ground mineral value rather than net returns after development costs.
With US officials praising Kenya's reforms and competitive tender while Chinese interests remain in the race, the outcome at Mrima Hill is set to test Nairobi's ability to balance geopolitical pressure, local content demands and transparency commitments.
