Valuable minerals should bring blessings, not pain

Eric Bulinda and Bryson Ambani leads their colleagues in process of looking for deposits of gold in River Isiukhu on September 16, 2022. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

A State Department of Mining official has hinted that Kenya could soon join countries that produce minerals known as tin, tungsten and tantalum. These minerals are used in the production of electronic products such as capacitors, bulb filaments and solder, among others.

While this is good news, it also portends ill since the three minerals, derisively known as 3T, have fueled conflict in African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Despite heavy deposits of 3T and gold in DRC, the country has known no peace and is the poorer for it.