Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kenyan President William Ruto put critical minerals and commercial ties at the center of bilateral talks Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Pavlovic Today was inside the room with Rubio’s press pool as the meeting opened at the Lotte New York Palace.
Rubio and Ruto discussed how critical-minerals opportunities in Kenya could position the country as a key player in the sector while creating opportunities for American companies.
“They spoke about how critical minerals opportunities in Kenya can position the country as a key player in the sector while presenting opportunities for U.S. firms to provide value addition,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
The meeting comes less than two weeks after senior U.S. officials publicly pledged to help Kenya develop domestic critical-minerals processing.
“Critical minerals are a top priority for President Trump and Secretary Rubio, and we are ready to work with Kenya as it becomes a regional leader in this space,” Frank Garcia, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said at an American Chamber of Commerce gathering in Nairobi on Sept. 9.
Garcia said Washington was prepared to help Kenya build a mining industry that attracts legitimate businesses while strengthening global supply chains.
President Ruto, speaking at the same gathering, said Kenya was accelerating development of “rare-earth elements, titanium, graphite, lithium, niobium and other strategic resources.”
U.S. officials have also backed a model in which more mineral processing and value creation remain in producing countries.
“If we are serious about rare earths minerals, energy and a stronger America, we do it in partnership, not alone,” Garcia said at the Sept. 9 meeting.
Ruto has made value addition a broader pillar of Kenya’s economic policy. In October 2025, he criticized the country’s longstanding practice of exporting commodities and minerals in raw form only to buy them back as finished products.
“For decades, we have exported our tea, our coffee, our livestock, our minerals, our cotton, our hides and skins, and even our fish in raw form only to import them back at a premium as finished products,” Ruto said.
“Value addition is not just an economic strategy; it is the key to prosperity for every stakeholder across the value chains,” he said.
Beyond commercial diplomacy, Pigott described Kenya as a vital U.S. partner, citing its status as a major non-NATO ally and the countries’ growing trade relationship.
“As a major non-NATO ally and growing trade relationship, Kenya remains a vital United States partner for shared priorities in the region,” Pigott said.
Rubio also expressed appreciation for Kenya’s cooperation with Washington on the countries’ longstanding health partnership.
“The Secretary expressed appreciation for Kenya’s partnership with the U.S. Government to implement a new and holistic approach to our historic health partnership through the America First Global Health Strategy,” Pigott said.
Rubio also underscored Kenya’s role in helping advance efforts to resolve regional conflicts.
