News Excerpt: 

Kenya has confirmed the discovery of its first coltan deposits, a valuable mineral integral to the production of various electronic devices.

About coltan: 

• Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite, is a valuable mineral used in various industries. 
• Coltan is a mineral ore containing both tantalum and niobium, the two rare heavy metals that are essential materials in a variety of electronics.
• Tantalum, derived from coltan, is used in the production of capacitors for computers and electric car batteries, which are essential components in electronic devices like smartphones and tablets.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo holds more than 70% of the world's coltan reserves.

Economic benefits for Kenya:

• The discovery is anticipated to bring economic benefits, creating job opportunities and giving a boom to Kenya's mining industry. 
• The global demand for coltan is rapidly increasing, and its price, averaging $48 per kg, depends on the tantalum content. 

Concerns:

• The mining and trade of coltan have been associated with ethical and environmental concerns, particularly in regions like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where a significant portion of the world's coltan is extracted. 
• Issues such as environmental degradation, labour rights abuses, and the financing of armed conflicts have been linked to coltan mining in certain regions.