‘Matters of a Madman’: Ruto Dismisses Gachagua’s Mrima Hills Claims

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 2 – President William Ruto has dismissed allegations by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that his recent visit to the United States was partly aimed at sealing a deal to exploit mineral deposits at Mrima Hills in Kwale County.

Ruto, responding to a question about the claims during a media engagement in Mombasa on Thursday, declined to directly address the substance of Gachagua’s allegations and instead attacked his former deputy.

“Please don’t ask me about claims of such a foolish person. Let’s talk about something else. He is a complete fool,” Ruto said.

He added: “I am sitting here as the President and you are raising the matters of a madman?”

The exchange brings the dispute over Mrima Hills into the political arena at a time when Kenya is pursuing foreign investment in critical minerals, with the United States showing particular interest in developing the country’s processing capacity.

Gachagua, who now leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), raised the allegations during his tour of the United States last month.

Addressing Kenyans in Kansas City, he claimed Ruto’s trip to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly was being used to advance negotiations over the exploitation of niobium and rare-earth minerals at Mrima Hills.

Gachagua alleged that the President’s UN engagements were a “camouflage” for discussions with American interests over the mineral deposits.

“His real mission in the United States is to come and seal a deal with Americans on how niobium will be exploited from Kenya,” Gachagua claimed.

He put the estimated value of the deposits at about Sh8.2 trillion and alleged that Kenyans would not receive a fair share of the proceeds.

“We will not allow William Ruto to sell our mineral deposits from Mrima Hills,” Gachagua said, adding that he would consider legal action to stop the proposed exploitation.

The allegations have gained traction partly because Kenya and the United States have openly discussed cooperation in the critical minerals sector.

In September, US officials announced plans to support Kenya in developing local processing capacity for rare-earth and niobium deposits. The proposed partnership includes investment in processing facilities, technology transfer, worker training and industries linked to mineral production.

Mrima Hills is at the centre of those discussions.

The deposits have been described in government and industry documents as containing niobium and rare-earth elements, minerals considered strategically important because of their use in advanced manufacturing and technology.

The government has said it wants minerals extracted in Kenya to undergo processing locally rather than being exported in raw form.

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho told Semafor last month that discussions with the US were at an advanced stage, involving the development of refineries and processing plants in Kenya. He said the discussions were intertwined with the bidding process for the Mrima Hills project.

Six companies were reported to be competing for the development rights, including firms from the United States, Australia and China, with the government expected to proceed with the next stage of the process after the bidding period.

This means that while Gachagua has portrayed the issue as an impending deal to “sell” Kenya’s minerals, the government’s publicly stated position has been that the project is being pursued through a formal process for awarding mineral rights.

A government document published in March said niobium and rare-earth elements had been identified as strategic minerals and that the government intended to award mineral rights through a public tender process under the Mining Act and relevant regulations.

No final mining agreement

The government has also previously maintained that the Mrima Hills project was still at a preliminary stage.

In January, Joho said no investor had been identified, no mining licence had been issued and no agreement had been signed for the project.

The proposed development has nevertheless generated controversy, including questions over community participation, land rights and the terms under which foreign investors would participate.

The project has also faced legal scrutiny, with a petition challenging aspects of the proposed development before the High Court.

The United States’ interest in the deposits has added another dimension to the debate, as Washington seeks to secure alternative sources of critical minerals amid competition with China.

US officials have said their preferred model involves investment in Kenyan processing and industries rather than simply extracting minerals and shipping them abroad.

Gachagua’s allegations have also become part of his broader criticism of the Ruto administration, coming as he campaigns for greater opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

His claims about Mrima Hills have placed the President under pressure to explain the government’s negotiations over the strategic minerals, although Ruto chose not to respond to the substance of the allegations when asked about them.

Instead, his response focused on Gachagua personally, underscoring the continued hostility between the two former political allies.

The two worked together in the 2022 presidential campaign before their relationship deteriorated, culminating in Gachagua’s removal from the deputy presidency in 2024.