The United States has backed Kenya’s ambition to move beyond exporting raw minerals and develop local processing and manufacturing capacity.
Critical minerals were among the major strategic investment themes at the 2026 AmCham Business Summit, alongside digital infrastructure, manufacturing and regional trade.
U.S. officials indicated that American companies should look beyond extraction and consider opportunities to process minerals in Kenya, creating additional jobs, industrial capacity and value within the country.
The discussion comes as Kenya explores the potential of deposits containing minerals including rare earth elements and niobium at Mrima Hill, alongside other strategic mineral resources.
President William Ruto has increasingly framed critical minerals as part of Kenya’s strategy to build local value chains rather than simply export raw materials.
The issue also fits into a wider global competition for secure mineral supply chains required by modern industries, including electric vehicles, electronics, renewable energy and advanced technology.
For Kenya, the opportunity is potentially much larger than mining revenue.
Processing, refining and manufacturing could create new industrial ecosystems around the minerals, while U.S. investment could provide access to capital, technology and international markets.
The AmCham discussions therefore placed critical minerals within the broader question of how Africa can capture more value from its natural resources.