SCIENTISTS at the University of Nairobi are prospecting for minerals in meteorites that have fallen in Kenya, and gamma ray bursts at the coast.
They say the rocks might have hidden, rare minerals. The experts from the UoN’s biochemistry department are using laser beams to study the rocks.
“We have discovered cosmic rings and particles in these rocks arranged like a pizza,” explains Dr Thomas Mwangi, a UoN scientist and a contributing member of SpaceRef.com, a space news and reference site.
Studies have shown that asteroids could wield rich precious metal deposits, and have the potential to enrich the planet’s mineral bank if carefully exploited.
Kenya’s National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (Nacosti) confirms the rocks are rich in platinum but the country does not have the technology to mine them.
“Developed countries have the technology to mine these space rocks but at present Kenya does not have it,” says Dr Moses Rugut, the director general at Nacosti. Kenya is a member of the UN’s Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III), but critics allege the government has not made a serious case for its cosmic wealth at the world body.
Scientists are also puzzled by the gamma ray bursts in Malindi, which the San Marco Satellite Centre has been studying for decades.
It is believed that the gamma ray bursts radiate energy that is far more powerful than the sun’s reach on earth.
“Kenya can benefit because we have celestial bodies buried here,” argues Dr Mwangi.
According to state officials, Kenya is currently developing a space and nuclear energy policy.
