Ndegwa Njiru questions tendering plan for Ksh8T rare earths at Mrima Hills

Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru has raised concerns over the Kenyan government's plan to commercialize the rare niobium and rare earth deposits at Mrima Hills, Kwale County. In an X post on September 27, 2026, Njiru pointed out that the government lacks an Economic Viability Report or a bankable feasibility study for the mineral project. He informed Kenyans that a competitive tender for the commercialization of the Ksh8.016 trillion ($62 billion) deposits has been launched without any proven economic or technical studies backing the project.

This comes as the government, through the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, invites qualified mining operators to bid for the development of the Mrima Hill deposits via the tender process. Despite the government's estimates, which suggest the deposits contain 5.8 million tonnes of niobium oxide and 48.7 million tonnes of total rare earth oxides, these resource figures alone do not guarantee the economic feasibility or commercial value of the project.

The tender process requires bidders to demonstrate their financial and technical capacity, including the establishment of an on-site processing and beneficiation plant. This move has sparked public debate on whether Kenya should proceed with commercializing the deposits before conducting further economic and technical studies.