Kenya

Kenya has a long history of mining, dating back to the pre-colonial era. The first recorded mining activity in Kenya's colonial history started in 1935 when a company known as J.C Williamson started prospecting for gold in the country's western region. Later, in the early 1960s, mineral exploration intensified with the discovery of base metal deposits such as copper, zinc, and lead, mainly in the northwestern part of the Rift Valley.

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The discovery of deposits of industrial minerals in the 1970s further increased Kenya's mining activity. The country started exporting minerals such as soda ash and fluorspar while developing its mining infrastructure. However, due to the impact of political instability and inadequate investment, mining activity significantly reduced in subsequent decades. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Kenya's mining sector, and the government has taken steps to improve the legal and regulatory framework to attract more investment.