County-by-County Map of Kenya’s Verified Mineral Deposits and Resource Potential

The mineral wealth of Kenya has started gaining more recognition due to the discovery of various minerals in the counties of Kenya, including strategic and valuable minerals.

From rare earth elements in the coastal regions to gold deposits in the western parts of Kenya, the geological composition of Kenya makes it an ideal mining center in East Africa.

The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, as well as the US Geological Survey, provide evidence for many of the mineral occurrences in the mentioned counties.

In Kwale County, there have been several records of niobium and rare earth elements in Mrima Hill, which are among the largest deposits of REE in the area.

Based on the findings by USGS and the Kenyan Ministry of Mines, the Niobium mineral and rare earth minerals have been discovered in Mrima hill making it strategically important in the world.

In the same vein, niobium, fluorite, and rare earth minerals have been found in Homa Bay County, mainly in Homa Mountain and the Rangwe area, while gold is suspected in areas like Ruri and Kuge according to geological surveys.

The Geological Society of Kenya notes that this area lies within the wider Nyanza greenstone belt characterized by mineralization.

Gold in Western Kenya Gold Belt and Mineral Deposits on the Coast

Migori County, Kakamega County, Vihiga County, and Siaya County are some of the regions in Western Kenya that are known to contain deposits of gold.

In fact, the Migori gold belt region has attracted interest from international companies because of the presence of artisanal and small-scale mining activities in the region as per the records of the World Bank and Kenya Mining Cadaster.

Ikolomani District of Kakamega is another location known to contain deposits of commercial gold.

Iron Ore, graphite, and gold have also been found in Taita Taveta County, especially in the Kishushe area.

It should be noted that the Tsavo belt stretching across Taita-Taveta contains graphite and iron ore as well.

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Base Metal Resources on the Northern and Eastern Frontiers

West Pokot County, Samburu County, Marsabit County, and Turkana County in the northern part of Kenya contain base metal deposits of nickel, chromite, and copper.

Research carried out by the USGS and the Kenyan Ministry of Mining confirms that these mineral resources are found in rocks of the ultramafic variety in these counties.

Graphite has also been found in Turkana and Samburu counties and is highly valued globally because of its usefulness in batteries.

In Kitui County to the east, mineral deposits of copper, graphite, nickel, and iron ore have been noted in the Mutomo–Ikutha belt.

This has been confirmed through exploration and feasibility studies undertaken through the World Bank funding for Kenya’s mineral resources sector development program.

Iron ore and copper deposits, notably the Marimanti area, and graphite deposits geologically related to neighboring zones have been found in Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County.

In addition, Embu County and Kajiado County have been found to have copper deposits.

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Rare Earth Minerals and Strategic Minerals Discovery Sites

The Kericho region has also been found to contain rare earth minerals, especially around the Buru area.

Although the discovery is yet to be explored, initial findings from Kenya’s mining experts reveal that there are economically viable deposits of rare earth minerals.

Further exploration and development efforts will determine whether Kenya can take advantage of its geological fortune to grow economically.

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Mining CS Ali Hassan Joho during a past event . PHOTO/Joho FB.