Why I ordered Tata Chemicals out of Kenya: Ruto

Kenyan President William Ruto has directed Tata Chemicals to withdraw from Kenya, alleging that the Indian-owned corporation has been extracting Lake Magadi's minerals for over a century without contributing to local job creation, factory establishment, or value addition. In Kajiado, Ruto pointed out that Tata had operated at Lake Magadi for approximately 100 years without producing local industrial development that the county and the nation should have received from its natural resources.

He challenged the company, saying, "That Tata company has had the contract for 100 years, yet it has not built anything in Kajiado. It has not established a factory here, and it has not employed our people." Accusing Tata of exporting the extracted resources to India and other countries without generating substantial economic benefits for the local population, Ruto stated, "Do we understand each other or not?

These people should leave, my friends. They come here, take our wealth and resources, and ship them to India and elsewhere." In case a new investor replaces Tata, Ruto outlined strict conditions, requiring the company to build a large glass manufacturing facility and a chemical production plant in Kajiado. He questioned whether Kenya should continue allowing foreign firms to extract resources without establishing significant industries around them, asserting, "Are we the servants of other people?

Should we not build Kajiado ourselves?" The suspension of Tata Chemicals Magadi's mining operations stems from non-compliance and licensing issues, according to the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs. The company, formerly known as Magadi Soda Company, has been operating at Lake Magadi since 1911 before becoming part of Tata Chemicals in 2005.

The company extracts trona from the lake and processes it into natural soda ash, which is crucial for glass, detergent, and chemical manufacturing, as well as water treatment. Tata Chemicals, a subsidiary of the broader Tata Group, has a presence in Kenya, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Ruto expressed frustration about the company's continued extraction of wealth without delivering any return to the community, asking, "Do you want the Tata people to continue troubling us by taking away our wealth while giving us nothing in return?"

The High Court is scheduled to hear an application on November 18 challenging the potential resumption of mining operations at Lake Magadi.