Kenya's Mineral Resources The potential mineral wealth of Kenya is still not fully known. Early in the 20th Century, official geologists were appointed for limited periods and, in addition, temporary Colonial Office appointments were made for specific investigations, as in 1914-15 for the examination of a portion of the Northern Frontier District. "At first for many years staff was limited, but more progress was made between 1940 and 1943 with the aid of a grant from the Colonial Development Fund. At the beginning of 1946, the Geological Survey became a branch of the combined Lands, Mines and Surveys Department, and three years later of the resuscitated Mines and Geological Department. A big grant was obtained from the Colonial Development and Welfare Vote in 1948 to provide for a considerable expansion of its stalled activities. Difficulties of recruiting proved to be considerable, and it was not until the 1950's that the full complement of geologists was attained. At the end of 1952 the staff of geologists numbered 16, but on an unbalanced basis. The chief economic minerals of Kenya going by the 1968 Geological Survey of Kenya were, and still are, soda, salt, gold, fluorspar, raw materials for cement manufacture, limestone and carbon dioxide; but numerous other products are envisaged. Geologists believe Kenya has lots of ores and industrial materials which have been established to be in substantial quantities. These minerals include soda ash, fluorspar, titanium, niobium and rare earth elements, gold, coal, iron ore, limestone, manganese, diatomite, gemstone, gypsum and carbon. Cultural Diversity in Kenya Kenya has a interesting mix of cultural history. It has significant archeological assets and colorful tribal cultures fascinating to researchers and tourists alike—and patently promoted in the tourism marketplace. Archaeological excavations around Lake Turkana in the 1970s unearthed a skull thought to be around two million years old and it is among the earliest human beings ever discovered—indeed a unique patrimony for mankind and for tourism. Kenya has a mosaic of 44 ethnic groups, each with its own culture and language, existing side by side, as the result of waves of in-migration (going back 4000 years) of Turkanas from Ethiopia; Kikuyu, Akamba, and Meru from West Africa; and the Maasai, Luo and the Samburu from southern Sudan. By the eighth century, Arabic, Indian, Persian, and even Chinese traders reached the Kenyan coast. They helped set up a string of coastal cities (for example, Mombasa and Lamu) and eventually the part-African, part-Arabic civilization infamous as the Swahili. Kenya was invaded first by the Portuguese, who were ousted after 200 years of struggle with the Swahili, and finally by the British who left at Independence in 1963. Kenya's cultural diversity forms an essential core of Kenya‘s tourism. Its rich heritage provides a foundation for tourism resource beyond nature and wildlife. At the moment about 70% of Kenya's energy is derived from renewable energy – hydroelectric and geothermal – with a steadfast approach on increasing wind and solar energy. So far, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project and the Garissa Solar Garden are almost operational, with substantial projects in geothermal, solar and wind power in development. All these efforts have placed Kenya as the fifth globally in an annual Bloomberg index measuring investments and opportunities in clean energy, according to the East African. Last but not least, water, of course, is all-important to the success of the Kenya's effort to mitigate climate change. This implicitly means conserving and regenerating the forests that form the river headwaters. It's not easy. Kenya has been often hailed as a class act in tree planting. Each year, through countless collaborations between government agencies, private sectors, non-government, community initiatives and volunteers, millions of trees are planted or replanted to replenish damaged forests. It's easy to feel disheartened as the calamity of illegal logging appears to obliterate these efforts. But tree planting in Kenya is both a national outfit and the first response to the runaway climate disaster, and one that most Kenyans are passionate about, and always ready to go out time and time again to carry out. Perhaps this, and many other efforts, wil be a shining light. At the last, it has to be remembered that the climate crises cannot be achieved in isolation. It warrants a global approach and that indispensable level of global commitment.

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