Ruto tells Tata Chemicals to leave Kenya

President William Ruto has told Tata Chemicals Magadi to leave Kenya, saying the company has not done enough to benefit the country.

Ruto said Tata Chemicals had been exporting soda ash from Lake Magadi instead of processing the mineral locally to make products such as glass and chemicals.

He spoke during a visit to Kajiado County, where the company’s plant is based. The President said the government had found other investors who could take over the operations and create more jobs and investment. “Tata Chemicals Magadi has had a contract for 100 years, and they have done nothing. I told them the other day to pack up and leave,” he said in Swahili. “They have not built anything in Kajiado, they have not built any factory ​in Kajiado.”

Tata Chemicals said it respected the government’s decision and was committed to constructive engagement through the appropriate legal and regulatory channels to resolve the outstanding matters.

The company operates at Lake Magadi, around 120 kilometres from Nairobi. It exports more than 350,000 tonnes of soda ash every year to India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other African countries.

Kenya is the fourth-largest producer of natural soda ash in the world, accounting for one per cent of global production, according to the US Geological Survey. Soda ash is made from trona and is used in glassmaking, detergents, chemicals, water treatment, textiles, paper and batteries.

Tata Chemicals is one of Kenya’s largest mineral exporters and Africa’s biggest soda ash producer. Its 2024 accounts showed about 245,000 tonnes of soda ash sales and $78.7 million in turnover. The company employs about 500 people and says its community programmes support around 30,000 people in the Magadi area through water, healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Tata Chemicals said that since taking over the Magadi plant in 2005, “it has played an important role in the Kenyan economy and continues to be an integral part of our business”.

The government’s action comes five weeks after the mining minister directed Tata Chemicals Magadi to suspend operations over reported concerns about royalty payments and other regulatory requirements.

The company said it had “provided a comprehensive response to the matters raised by the ministry, including information regarding its compliance with applicable regulatory requirements”. It said it was waiting for its submissions to be reviewed and for further direction.

The Lake Magadi operation began in 1911. A major mining lease was signed in 1928, while Tata Chemicals took over the plant in 2005 after acquiring the UK-based Brunner Mond Group.