On the 24th of January, 2024, Salim Mvurya, Minster of Mining and Blue Economy announced to Kenyans that there were untapped deposits of Coltan reserves in six counties: Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Tana River, Embu, and Meru. In an ever increasingly digitalized world of electronic gadgets, this mineral ore makes electronic capacitors for laptops and smartphones. Coltan is the short form of columbite tantalite which hosts tantalum and niobium.
Tantalum also serves medicinal purposes. Since tantalum does not cause any immune response within the body, it is often used for making surgical appliances and replacement bones that help connect the torn nerves and bind muscles. The price of Coltan is subject to the amount of Tantalum it contains but according to Forbes Africa, the price of the ore was US$ 48.82 per kilogram in 2022.
According to Statista Research Department, some of the leading producers of Coltan in 2023 included DR Congo, Rwanda, Brazil, Nigeria, China, Australia, Burundi, and Russia. DR Congo produced the most Coltan in 2023 at 980 Metric Tons.
The discovery of minerals in a country is a double-edged sword; it might catapult the country to higher levels of growth and development or be a curse in disguise that will push a nation to the brink of chaos. Chile is a good case study. 35% of the world’s output of copper stems from the country. Since copper mining began in Antofagasta, unemployment fell from 20% to 10% between the periods of 1980s to early 2000s. On a macro level, Chile improved its UNDP Human Development Index Rankings to 39th place within the same period.
Botswana grew its economy annually by 9% between 1996 and 1999 when it started mining gems diamonds.
On the flip side, DR Congo although abundantly endowed with natural resources has witnessed years of conflicts surrounding the same as government security forces and rebels from different factions compete for control of the different mining sites.
Although there are a lot of benefits that Kenya might accrue from the exploration of the Coltan deposits discovered, it must not be naïve. Lessons from the failures of resource-rich countries that have failed to manage their resources should also be taken into account. These are some of the following things that must be taken into account before Coltan exploration in Kenya begins:
Devising the best marketing strategy to prove that there is a significant amount of deposits enough to attract development investment. Furthermore, mineral policies and guidelines in place must also be investor-friendly.
Kenya should also start establishing the necessary domestic mining infrastructure.
The mining strategy should be sustainable to cater to the needs of the environment, wildlife, and cultures of the people.
A framework should be put in place to ensure that proceeds are evenly distributed between the six counties' National Government, County Government, and local communities.
National Security organs such as the KDF (Kenya Defense Forces), NIS (National Intelligence Service), and NPS (The National Police Service) should also be included in the formulation of Coltan mining policy and strategy from the onset. Mining of Coltan might aggravate security risks within the country and surrounding region. Therefore, it is of national security importance.
In conclusion, with the ever-increasing demand for electronic gadgets around the globe, prospects look bright. However, sobriety and cautiousness must take center stage.
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