Kenya in ‘advanced’ talks with US on critical minerals deal: minister
Kenya's mining minister, Hassan Ali Joho, said talks with US government officials on a deal to develop Kenya's critical minerals processing industry are at a "very advanced" stage, with the US departments of commerce, defense and state involved. The discussions concern refineries and processing plants in Kenya that would partly supply the US, and Joho said they are intertwined with the bidding process for the Mrima Hill deposit, where six companies including American, Australian and Chinese firms are competing. The bidding process is to end in late October, and the minister said mining currently contributes around 1% of Kenya's GDP against a government target of 10% within a decade.
Why it matters: The talks sit within the briefing's critical minerals theme, in which US efforts to secure processing capacity in Africa proceed alongside its rivalry with China over supply chains.