INTERESTING yes we got screwed over
US-backed consortium eyeing Kenya’s Mrima Hill rare earth deposit submits value-added development bid
By bne IntelliNews December 9, 2025
A new US-backed consortium, including Mrima Earth Ltd, has submitted a proposal to Kenya’s National Mining Corporation (Namico) to develop the long-stalled Mrima Hill mining site, a rare earths and niobium deposit, aiming to shift the site towards a value-chain, domestically processed model, according to The Standard.
The Mrima Earth Consortium is majority-owned by US shareholders and backed by North American institutional investors as well as a major, unnamed US strategic partner. It is led by a globally experienced management team, including a technical head who formerly served as managing director of Molycorp’s Mountain Pass rare earth project in California, now operated by MP Materials (NYSE:MP).
“Breaking from the trend of companies focused solely on raw ore export, the Mrima Earth Consortium plans to develop the resource in stages with a strong emphasis on creating a value-added product in Kenya,” the firm is quoted as saying in its prospect to Namico.
“Plans include extensive knowledge transfer, skills development, training programmes, and long-term job creation aimed at ensuring that the region—and Kenya as a whole—benefits directly from the project’s growth.”
In its prospectus to Namico, Mrima Earth said its approach could inject “billions of dollars” into Kenya’s economy while supporting downstream industrialisation. The firm argues that a local processing chain would strengthen the country’s position in global rare-earth supply networks, where demand continues to grow amid tightening geopolitical competition.
The government views the Mrima Hill deposit in Kwale County as a strategic critical minerals asset. Previous investors in the hill included Cortec Mining — the former licence holder whose parent, Pacific Wildcat Resources (formerly TSX-V:PAW), is now defunct — while Australian firms RareX (ASX:REE) and Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) have expressed sustained interest.
Mrima Hill has been at the centre of repeated licensing disputes over the past decade. The proposed entry of Mrima Earth marks the latest attempt to revive development of the deposit, which has long been cited as a potential anchor for a regional rare earths industry.
Legal claims by Cortec Mining, whose licence was revoked in 2013, remain active in arbitration channels. The government maintains the revocation was justified under updated mining regulations and that any future licensing arrangements must comply with Kenya’s modernised legal and environmental framework.
Officials have signalled that the state intends to ensure greater oversight of strategic mineral sites, consistent with the Mining Act and recent policy reviews. Authorities have also emphasised that future project development will require stricter due diligence, transparent ownership disclosures and stronger community-engagement provisions. |
