• The Democratic Republic of Congo holds more than 70% of the world's coltan reserves, which have for decades fueled violent conflict in the East of the Country.

Kenya has officially confirmed the discovery of its first coltan deposits on January, 24,2024.

Coltan, is a valuable mineral crucial for manufacturing electric car batteries and electronic devices.

While the size of the deposits remains undisclosed, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Salim Mvurya, emphasized that Kenya is now recognized to have coltan reserves.

This marks a significant development, as the Democratic Republic of Congo has historically dominated global coltan reserves, contributing to prolonged regional conflicts.

The newfound resource holds potential implications for Kenya's mining sector and its role in the worldwide electronics industry. Coltan is refined into tantalum, which is then used to manufacture smartphones, laptops, and other communication gadgets in the country.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo holds more than 70% of the world's coltan reserves, which have for decades fueled violent conflict in the East of the Country.

It is not clear how large the coltan deposits found in Kenya are.

Mining officials have previously hinted that Kenya could have traces of the precious ore. Still, Kenya's Salim Mvurya on Wednesday said that his announcement means "it is now official" that Kenya has coltan reserves.

"It is now official. We have coltan deposits in the country and we want to see how we can inspire the investors," he said.

Embu County, among others, has been confirmed to harbour valuable coltan deposits, as declared by Salim Mvurya at the county headquarters. The government is actively evaluating the economic significance of this mineral discovery.

CS Mvurya expressed the government's commitment to energising the mining industry for national benefit. Plans include increased employment for workers involved in mineral exploration, with 970 mineral occurrences identified countrywide.

"We shall be setting up laboratories services in eight regions where we shall be testing samples and declaring the quality of minerals found in a particular region," he said.

The CS emphasized the forthcoming commencement of mining activities as part of the government's strategic initiative.