During a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Frank Garcia said the United States would help Kenya develop its domestic processing of critical minerals, Reuters reported Sept. 9. The announcement comes as Kenyan authorities are awaiting detailed bids for the rare earth and niobium Mrima Hill project, which has an estimated value of $62 billion. At the meeting, Kenyan President William Ruto said that his government was "accelerating the responsible exploration and development ​of rare earth elements, titanium, graphite, lithium, niobium and other strategic resources."