Natural resources of Kenya
Oil, gas, minerals, forests and water in Kenya: what it produces, how it ranks in the world, who mines it and what it earns. Every figure is from an official source and is updated when the source is.
Resource rents, share of GDP (2021)
1.2 %
Resources, share of goods exports (2025)
17.0 %
Forest, share of land (2024)
6.6 %
Source: World Bank; UN Comtrade; U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last checked 24 October 2026.
| Soda Ash (natural) | 270 | thousand metric tons | 4 | Not published | 2 | 7,000 thousand metric tons |
| Titanium Mineral Concentrates (rutile) | — | thousand metric tons | Not published | Not published | Not published | — |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Mining and minerals
The U.S. Geological Survey records 30 mineral commodities with published production in Kenya between 2018 and 2022, from metals and gemstones to industrial minerals and fuels. The table includes processed products such as cement and steel, which USGS reports alongside raw minerals.
Showing 30 of 30
| Aluminum, metal, secondary | Metals | Not published | 10,000 | 11,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 12,000 | Not published |
| Gold, mine, Au content | Metals | kilograms | 472 | 395 | 150 | 292 | 565 | Not published |
| Iron ore, mine, gross weight | Metals | Not published | 167,078 | 161,001 | 79,000 | 156,001 | 52,001 | Not published |
| Iron ore, mine, fe content | Metals | Not published | 94,000 | 90,000 | 44,000 | 87,000 | 29,000 | 2019: e; 2020: e; 2022: e |
| Raw steel | Metals | Not published | 460,000 | 470,000 | 450,000 | 460,000 | 530,000 | Not published |
| Galvanized | Metals | Not published | 270,437 | 274,425 | 247,700 | 250,411 | 245,788 | 2021: r |
| Rolled | Metals | Not published | 770,000 | 790,000 | 750,000 | 780,000 | 890,000 | 2021: r |
| Lead, refinery, secondary | Metals | Not published | 12,000 | 11,000 | 6,500 | 4,300 | 4,300 | Not published |
| Ilmenite and leucoxene | Metals | Not published | 453,133 | 341,182 | 334,241 | 329,800 | 339,000 | Not published |
| Rutile | Metals | Not published | 95,715 | 78,961 | 76,402 | 75,800 | 76,500 | Not published |
| Zirconium, zircon concentrates | Metals | Not published | 36,387 | 30,350 | 31,730 | 27,000 | 27,000 | Not published |
| Cement, hydraulic | Industrial Minerals | thousand metric tons | 6,070 | 6,163 | 7,474 | 9,248 | 9,754 | Not published |
| Bentonite | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 140 | 150 | 160 | 160 | 160 | Not published |
| Unspecified | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 430,000 | 570,000 | 790,000 | 1,400,000 | 1,500,000 | 2019: r; 2021: r |
| Diatomite | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 1,548 | 921 | 928 | 763 | 1,401 | Not published |
| Amethyst | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 24,000 | 19,000 | 2,600 | 2,600 | 2,600 | Not published |
| Aquamarine | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Not published |
| Cordierite | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1 | 1 | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2020: --; 2021: --; 2022: -- |
| Green | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1,200 | 980 | 130 | 1,000 | 1,000 | Not published |
| Other | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1,400 | 300 | 40 | 40 | 40 | Not published |
| Ruby | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1,500 | 1,200 | 460 | 1,300 | 1,300 | Not published |
| Sapphire | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 5,600 | 4,400 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | Not published |
| Tourmaline | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1,700 | 1,000 | 300 | 1,000 | 1,000 | Not published |
| Gypsum, including anhydrite, crude | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 6,000 | 6,000 | 5,400 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 2020: r |
| Lime | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 44,000 | 29,000 | 26,000 | 29,000 | 29,000 | 2020: r |
| Salt, refined | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 362,754 | 355,129 | 356,042 | 389,531 | 394,648 | 2021: r |
| Sand and gravel, industrial, silica sand | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 25,000 | 22,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 | 23,000 | 2020: r |
| Soda ash, natural | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 294,856 | 282,049 | 254,579 | 283,621 | 321,779 | Not published |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 34,000 | 29,000 | 24,000 | 33,000 | 38,000 | Not published |
| Petroleum, crude | Mineral Fuels And Related Materials | thousand 42-gallon barrels | 330 | 240 | 35 | Not published | Not published | 2018: e; 2021: --; 2022: -- |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook, country tables. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Showing 45 of 45
| Aluminum, secondary | Kaluworks Ltd. | Plant at Mombasa | Not published | Not published |
| Aluminum, secondary | Booth Manufacturing Ltd. | Plant at Nairobi | Not published | Not published |
| Aluminum, secondary | Aluminium Enterprises | Plant at Kikuyu | Not published | Not published |
| Aluminum, secondary | Crystal Industries Ltd. | Plant at Kikuyu | Not published | Not published |
| Aluminum, secondary | Narcol Aluminium Rolling | Plant at Mombasa | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Bamburi Cement Ltd. (Lafarge Group, 58.6%) | Plants at Athi River and Mombasa | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Mombasa Cement Ltd. | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Mombasa Cement Ltd. | Plant at Vipengo | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | National Cement Company Ltd. (a subsidiary of Devki Group of Companies) | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | National Cement Company Ltd. (a subsidiary of Devki Group of Companies) | Plant at Nairobi | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | National Cement Company Ltd. (a subsidiary of Devki Group of Companies) | Plant at Kaloleni | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Savannah Cement Ltd. (Savannah Heights, 40%; Wan-Ho 40%; Acme Cement, 20%) | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | East African Portland Cement Company Ltd. (EAPC) [Lafarge Group, 41.7%; National Social Security Fund (Government-owned), 27%; Government, 25%] | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Karsan Ramji & Sons Ltd. | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Karsan Ramji & Sons Ltd. | Plant at Nakuru | Not published | Not published |
| Diatomite | African Diatomite Industries Ltd. | Mines at Kariandusi and Soysambu | Not published | Not published |
| Fluorspar | Kenya Fluorspar Ltd. | Mine at Kimwarer | Not published | Not published |
| Amethyst | Crystal Springs Mining Co. | Mine in Kitui County | Not published | Not published |
| Garnet | Artisanal and small-scale miners | Mines in Taita Taveta County | Not published | Not published |
| Ruby and sapphire | Rockland Kenya Ltd. | Mine at Kasigau | Not published | kilograms |
| Tourmaline | Artisanal and small-scale miners | Mines in Taita Taveta County | Not published | Not published |
| Gold | Artisanal and small-scale miners | Mines in Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western Provinces | Not published | Not published |
| Iron ore | Samruddha Resources Kenya Ltd. | Mine at Kishushe | Not published | Not published |
| Lead, refined secondary | Associated Battery Manufacturers Company Ltd. | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Lime | Homa Lime Company Ltd. | Plant at Koru | Not published | Not published |
| Lime | ARM Cement Ltd. | Plant at Kaloleni | Not published | Not published |
| Manganese ore | Geofirm (EA) Ltd. | Mine at Kilifi | Not published | Not published |
| Petroleum, crude thousand | Early Oil Pilot Scheme (Tullow Oil plc, 50%) | Amosing and Ngamia oilfields in Turkana County | Not published | Not published |
| Phosphate fertilizers | Kel Chemicals Ltd. | Plant at Thika | Not published | Not published |
| Salt | Krystalline Salt Ltd. | Plant near Malindi | Not published | Not published |
| Salt | Kensalt Ltd. | Plant at Mombasa | Not published | Not published |
| Salt | Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd. | Plant at Magadi | Not published | Not published |
| Soda ash | Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd. | Mine at Magadi | Not published | Not published |
| Crude | Devki Steel Mills Ltd. | Three plants in Kenya | Not published | Not published |
| Crude | Athi Steel Ltd. | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Crude | Tononoka Steel Ltd. (Tononoka Group) | Plant at Nairobi | Not published | Not published |
| Crude | Numerical Machining Complex (Government, 100%) | Plant at Nairobi | Not published | Not published |
| Rolled | Devki Steel Mills Ltd. | Three plants in Kenya | Not published | Not published |
| Rolled | Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd. | Plant at Mombasa | Not published | Not published |
| Rolled | Athi Steel Ltd. | Plant at Athi River | Not published | Not published |
| Rolled | Numerical Machining Complex | Plant at Nairobi | Not published | Not published |
| Sulfuric acid | Kel Chemicals Ltd. | Plant at Thika | Not published | Not published |
| Sulfuric acid | Pan Africa Chemicals Ltd. | Plant at Webuye | Not published | Not published |
| Titanium, mineral concentrates | Base Resources Ltd. | Mine in Kwale County | Not published | Not published |
| Zirconium concentrates, zircon | Base Resources Ltd. | Mine in Kwale County | Not published | Not published |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook 2019, Kenya. Last checked 24 October 2026.
What natural resources earn
Natural resource rents were 1.2% of GDP in 2021, with forests and timber the largest part. That ranks Kenya 49th of 54 African countries. See all 54.
View the data as a table
| Period | Oil | Minerals | Forests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 2.6 % |
| 2011 | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 2.8 % |
| 2012 | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 2.8 % |
| 2013 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 2.6 % |
| 2014 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 2.6 % |
| 2015 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 2.7 % |
| 2016 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 2.6 % |
| 2017 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 2.3 % |
| 2018 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 1.4 % |
| 2019 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 1.2 % |
| 2020 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 1.3 % |
| 2021 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 1.2 % |
| 2022 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2023 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2024 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2025 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Forest, share of land (2024)
6.6 %
Arable land, share of land (2024)
11.5 %
Renewable fresh water per person (2022)
382 m³
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Method and sources
Oil, gas and coal output and coal reserves are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Oil and gas proved reserves are the EIA figures republished by Our World in Data; oil is converted from cubic metres to barrels at the standard factor. World production, reserves and ranks are from the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries, ranked among the countries USGS names. The full list of commodities and the companies that mine them are from the USGS Minerals Yearbook country tables, which run a few years behind. Rents, land and water are from the World Bank, and export shares from UN Comtrade. Nothing is estimated by us. Figures last checked on 24 October 2026.
USGS country page for Kenya. EIA international energy data. World Bank resource rents.
Frequently asked questions
What natural resources does Kenya have?
Kenya's main natural resources are soda ash, gold and iron ore. Oil, gas and coal made up 10.5% of its goods exports in 2025, and all resources together 17%. The World Bank puts natural resource rents at 1.2% of GDP in 2021, mostly from forests and timber. The U.S. Geological Survey also records production of galvanized, rolled, ilmenite and leucoxene, rutile, zirconium and bentonite, among 15 mineral commodities.
Does Kenya produce oil?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration records no meaningful crude oil production for Kenya in 2025.
What is Kenya's most valuable natural resource?
By export earnings, oil, gas and coal: 10.5% of goods exports in 2025, according to UN Comtrade.
How much do natural resources contribute to Kenya's economy?
Natural resource rents, the value of resources extracted minus the cost of extracting them, were 1.2% of GDP in 2021. That ranks Kenya 49th of 54 African countries.
Which companies mine in Kenya?
The U.S. Geological Survey's 2019 list of Kenya's mineral industry names 32 operating companies, including Kaluworks Ltd., Booth Manufacturing Ltd., Aluminium Enterprises, Crystal Industries Ltd. and Narcol Aluminium Rolling. The full list is on this page.
Where does Kenya rank in world mineral production?
In 2025, Kenya ranked 4th for soda ash (natural) among the producers the U.S. Geological Survey lists.