East African mineral resource processing initiatives

East African nations are increasingly focusing on domestic mineral processing to secure greater economic value from their natural resources. In Uganda, the Makuutu Heavy Rare Earths Project is undergoing a strategic review, with efforts directed toward leveraging interest in critical elements like neodymium and dysprosium to secure commitments for local processing and skills development under the Mining and Minerals Act 2022. Similarly, Kenya has initiated a bidding process for the development of Mrima Hill, emphasizing the requirement for domestic mineral processing to ensure long-term sustainability.

This regional push for value addition was highlighted at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa. Uganda’s Minister of Defence, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, urged African nations to end the export of raw materials, arguing that the practice maintains dependency on external markets and prevents wealth creation. He cited Uganda’s copper industry as an example of the inefficiency of exporting raw ore only to import finished products. Kenyan Deputy President Kithure Kindiki supported these calls, suggesting that African states must invest in manufacturing and skills to capture more value from minerals, energy, and agricultural products.