President William Ruto has issued fresh directives on the use of 240,000 acres of land in Magadi, Kajiado County, following the government’s decision to have Tata Chemicals exit Kenya.
Speaking during the Maa Cultural Festival in Narok on Saturday, November 14, Ruto said the land, which he claimed had been allocated to one company for 100 years, had not delivered meaningful benefits to the national government, the county government or the Maasai community.
He said the arrangement could no longer continue and directed the Ministry of Mining to fast-track plans to have half of the land allocated to the Kajiado County Government.
The President argued that there was no justification for keeping such a large portion of land under one company when parts of it were not being used for mining activities.
“The 240,000 acres of land belonging to the people of Kajiado were allocated to one company for 100 years. There is nothing meaningful that they have done for the national government, the county government or the Maasai community. I said this situation cannot continue,” Ruto said.
“First, we want half of that land to be allocated to the Kajiado County Government because there is no reason to lock up such a large piece of land that is not being used for mining.”
Ruto Orders Increase in Magadi Mining Companies from One to Five
Ruto also announced plans to increase the number of companies involved in soda ash mining in Magadi from one to five, saying the move would attract more investors and create employment opportunities.
“We will increase the number of companies involved in soda ash mining from one to five so that we can create more jobs,” he said.
The Head of State further revealed that companies granted licences to mine soda ash would be required to undertake value addition locally instead of transporting the mineral to other countries for processing.
“I will no longer allow our soda ash to be transported to other countries for manufacturing or value addition,” he stated.
He added that any company granted a mining licence would be required to establish processing operations in Kenya, particularly in Kajiado County.
“Any company we grant a licence to mine soda ash must carry out value addition here in Kajiado, here in Kenya,” Ruto said.
Also Read: Ruto Reveals How Kenya Lost Ksh6.5B in Nairobi-Mau Summit Road Deal
Ruto Moves to Attract New Investors to Magadi After Tata Chemicals Exit Order
At the same time, the President said there are plans to attract investors to establish glass and chemical manufacturing plants in the area, noting that such products were currently manufactured in other countries.
According to Ruto, the proposed factories would create employment opportunities while allowing Kenya to benefit from processing its own mineral resources.
He said several companies were already interested in investing in Magadi and called on the Ministry of Mining to accelerate the process.
“Those companies are ready to invest in Magadi. They want to establish factories,” he said.
“I have instructed the Ministry of Mining, including the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary, to speed up the process,” he added.
Also Read:Tata Chemicals Magadi: Owners of Over 100-Year-Old Company Ruto Ordered Out of Kenya
The latest directive comes after Tata Chemicals, in September this year was asked to exit Kenya after the government said it had failed to generate enough benefits for the country.
President William Ruto ordered the company to “pack up and leave”, saying it had been exporting soda ash instead of processing the mineral locally to make glass and chemicals.
Ruto said the government had identified new investors to take over the company’s operations, with an aim to bring more employment and investment for Kenyans.
The company – part of Indian conglomerate Tata Group – operated at Lake Magadi, about 120km (75 miles) southwest of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. It exported more than 350,000 tonnes of soda ash annually, exporting it to markets including India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere in Africa.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for in-depth interviews
