Ruto reveals Kenya and the US have agreed minerals will be processed locally, paving way for a deal covering Mrima Hill's rare earths.
President William Ruto has confirmed that Kenya and the United States are closing in on a critical minerals agreement that could unlock one of the country's most valuable and most contested resources: Mrima Hill in Kwale County, a deposit estimated to be worth roughly Sh8.1 trillion.
Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Ruto said the two countries had reached an understanding that works for both sides, and that the Trump administration was satisfied with the terms on the table.
"We've agreed with them on what is mutually beneficial between Kenya and the United States, and President Trump and the American administration are happy with it," Ruto said.
The headline detail is this: the minerals will not be shipped out raw. They will be processed in Kenya.
"We have agreed that the minerals will be processed in Kenya," Ruto said.
No More Raw Exports, Ruto Declares
Addressing leaders at the G7 Summit, Ruto was blunt about what Kenya, and Africa more broadly, will no longer tolerate.
"The natural resources can no longer be exported and processed elsewhere. They have to be processed in-country and in-continent. We have to create value out of them," Ruto said.
He pointed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as a model, where authorities have pushed for mineral processing and manufacturing to happen closer to the source of extraction, ensuring deals actually benefit the countries where the resources originate.
What Minerals Are at Stake
Beyond Mrima Hill's rare earths and niobium, Kenya holds untapped deposits of lithium, graphite, copper, and nickel, minerals that are increasingly in global demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy, batteries, and advanced manufacturing.
Investment Over Aid
Ruto said his discussions with Trump centred on building partnerships based on investment rather than aid, arguing that Africa's future lies in industrialisation and job creation rather than dependency.
"We are going to reject any relationships that are based on the extraction of our natural resources," he said.
Not Choosing Sides
The deal comes amid growing competition between the US, China, and Europe for access to Africa's mineral wealth. But Ruto maintained Kenya would not be forced to pick a side.
"There are opportunities for everybody," he said, adding that Kenya and other African countries will continue pursuing partnerships that align with their own economic interests.
The agreement is not yet finalised, but Ruto says it is expected to be completed soon.