NAIROBI, Kenya – The United States has pledged to support Kenya in developing a critical minerals processing industry, as Washington seeks to strengthen alternative global supply chains and reduce dependence on China.

The announcement comes at a significant moment for Kenya’s mining sector, following President William Ruto’s directive for Tata Chemicals Magadi, the country’s long-established soda ash producer, to cease operations after more than a century of activity.

Speaking on Wednesday during a meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Frank Garcia said Washington was ready to partner with Kenya in developing a transparent and commercially viable mining sector.

“Critical minerals are a top priority for President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and we are ready to work with Kenya as it becomes a regional leader in this space,” Garcia said.

He said the United States wants to help Kenya establish a mining industry that attracts legitimate investors, protects local communities and contributes to the security of global mineral supply chains.

“We are ready to help you build a mining sector that is transparent and attracts legitimate businesses, respects communities and helps secure global supply chains,” Garcia said.

Kenya is currently considering bids for the development of the Mrima Hill mineral deposit in Kwale County, which is believed to contain significant deposits of rare earth elements and niobium.

The deposit has attracted international interest because niobium is used in high-performance alloys, including materials used in aerospace manufacturing. U.S.-based Critical Metals Corp and Australian company RareX said in July that they had been shortlisted to compete for the rights to develop Mrima Hill, although the Kenyan government has not officially published the shortlist.

President Ruto said Kenya was accelerating the responsible exploration and development of rare earth elements and other strategic minerals, including titanium, graphite, lithium and niobium.

“In critical minerals, we are accelerating the responsible exploration and development of rare-earth elements, titanium, graphite, lithium, niobium and other strategic resources,” Ruto said.

The President has previously indicated that Kenya and the United States were close to concluding a critical minerals agreement. However, neither side provided an update on the proposed deal during Wednesday’s meeting.

The U.S. intervention comes as Washington seeks to diversify sources of rare earth minerals and reduce its vulnerability to supply chains dominated by China.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is supporting a pipeline of African rare earth projects as the United States looks for alternative sources of minerals considered essential to advanced manufacturing, energy and defence industries.

Garcia said the United States supports a model in which mineral-producing countries undertake processing and value addition locally rather than exporting raw materials.

“Some of our competitors are efficient at one thing: pulling minerals out of the ground, whisking them offshore and capturing all value addition far away from the lands from which the minerals originated,” he said.

Garcia said stronger partnerships with African mineral-producing countries would be essential if the United States was to secure reliable supplies of strategic minerals.

“If we are serious about rare earths minerals, energy and a stronger America, we do it in partnership, not alone,” he said.

The U.S. pledge also comes against the backdrop of renewed debate over Kenya’s approach to natural-resource development, following President Ruto’s directive that Tata Chemicals, the operator of the Magadi soda ash facility, cease operations after 114 years.

The development has placed renewed attention on the future of Kenya’s mineral-processing industry, investment conditions and the balance between attracting multinational companies and ensuring greater economic benefits for local communities.

The Magadi operation has historically been a major producer of soda ash, an industrial mineral used in glass manufacturing, chemicals and other industries.

The government’s broader critical-minerals strategy now places emphasis on local processing, job creation and value addition, rather than simply extracting and exporting raw minerals.

For President Ruto, developing processing capacity is central to ensuring that Kenya’s mineral wealth translates into employment and broader economic opportunities.

The President said responsible development of strategic minerals could position Kenya as an important player in the emerging global critical-minerals economy.

With Washington now signalling readiness to support Kenya’s processing ambitions, the country faces the challenge of turning its mineral potential into a competitive industry while maintaining investor confidence, protecting communities and ensuring that more of the value generated from its natural resources remains within Kenya.