editor
Kenya has discovered its first deposits of the valuable mineral coltan, the mining minister has said.
The rare mineral is used to manufacture electric car batteries, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
The Democratic Republic of Congo holds more than 70% of the world’s coltan reserves, which have for decades fuelled 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 highly valuable ore, but Kenya’s Minister for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs said that his announcement means “it is now official” that Kenya has coltan reserves.
Deposits of the mineral have been found in six counties across the country, but their value is yet to be determined.
