Trending 
Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered one of India’s major chemical companies, Tata Chemicals, to leave the country, accusing the company of failing to benefit Kenya.
Ruto made the comments during a visit to Kajiado County, where Tata Chemicals Magadi operates at Lake Magadi, about 120 kilometres southwest of Nairobi.
Ruto told the company to “pack up and leave”, saying it had exported soda ash instead of processing the mineral locally. He said the government had identified new investors to take over the company’s operations and create more jobs and investment for Kenyans.
Tata Chemicals, part of India’s Tata Group, said it respected the government’s decision and remained committed to resolving the issue through legal and regulatory channels.
The company exports more than 350,000 tonnes of soda ash annually to markets including India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other African countries.
According to the US Geological Survey, Kenya is the world’s fourth-largest producer of natural soda ash, accounting for about 1% of global production.
Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, is used in glassmaking, chemicals, batteries, detergents, water treatment, textiles and paper production.
Tata Chemicals is one of Kenya’s largest mineral exporters and Africa’s biggest soda ash producer. The company extracts trona from Lake Magadi and processes it into soda ash. Its 2024 accounts reported about 245,000 tonnes of soda ash sales and $78.7 million in turnover.
Tata Chemicals employs about 500 people and says its community programmes benefit about 30,000 people around Magadi through water, healthcare, education and infrastructure.
However, Ruto accused the company of not investing enough in the region.
“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. They have not built anything in Kajiado; they have not built any factory in Kajiado,” he said in Swahili.
Tata Chemicals said it had played an important role in Kenya’s economy since acquiring the Magadi plant in 2005. The company said it had also submitted a detailed response to concerns raised by Kenya’s mining ministry regarding regulatory compliance.
Ruto’s comments came five weeks after Kenya’s mining minister directed Tata Chemicals Magadi to suspend operations. The directive reportedly cited unpaid royalties and other regulatory requirements.
Tata Chemicals said it was awaiting a review of its submissions and further government direction. The company’s operations at Lake Magadi date back to 1911, while a major mining lease was signed with the Kenyan government in 1928.
Tata Chemicals took over the operation in 2005 after acquiring the UK-based Brunner Mond Group.
