The United States is proposing the use of advanced American technology to help Kenya extract, process and add more value to its critical minerals.
The proposal was outlined by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia during a discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Garcia said the U.S. approach would focus on providing technology and expertise rather than directly taking over mining operations.
He explained that American companies have spent years developing technologies for mineral extraction and refining. The U.S. now wants to make some of these technologies available to African countries, including Kenya.
According to Garcia, the technology could help countries process minerals locally instead of exporting raw materials for processing elsewhere. This would allow Kenya to capture more value from its mineral resources.
Garcia also said some technologies can recover several minerals from the same deposit, potentially making mineral extraction more valuable.
The U.S. official said he had discussed Kenya’s mining sector with President William Ruto during his recent visit to the country. He described critical minerals as an important area of cooperation between Kenya and the United States.
The latest proposal comes as Kenya and the U.S. continue discussions on a possible critical minerals partnership. Previous talks have focused on local processing, investment and technology transfer.
Kenya has been seeking to move away from exporting minerals in raw form and instead encourage processing and value addition within the country.
The discussions are also taking place as Kenya advances plans for the development of the Mrima Hill mineral deposits in Kwale County, which contain rare earth elements and niobium.