Ruto Unveils New Magadi Investment Plan After Tata Chemicals Was Ordered to Exit Kenya

President William Ruto has announced major changes to mining operations in Magadi, Kajiado County, issuing fresh directives on the use of 240,000 acres of land previously associated with Tata Chemicals.

Speaking during the Maa Cultural Festival in Narok on Saturday, November 14, the Head of State said the existing arrangement had failed to deliver meaningful benefits to the national government, the county government and the Maasai community.

Ruto argued that the land had been allocated to one company for 100 years despite some portions not being utilised for mining activities.

He consequently instructed the Ministry of Mining to speed up plans to have half of the 240,000 acres allocated to the Kajiado County Government.

According to the President, there was no justification for allowing one company to control such a vast area without sufficient benefits reaching the local community.

The Head of State also announced plans to increase the number of companies involved in soda ash mining in Magadi from the current one to five.

He said opening up the sector to additional investors would create more employment opportunities while attracting fresh investments into the region.

Ruto further directed that companies seeking licences to extract soda ash must establish processing facilities locally instead of exporting the mineral to other countries for value addition.

He maintained that Kenya should benefit from manufacturing products using its own natural resources rather than allowing other countries to undertake the processing.

The President specifically pointed to the establishment of glass and chemical manufacturing factories in Magadi, saying the proposed investments would create jobs and strengthen local industries.

He disclosed that several companies had already expressed interest in setting up factories in the area.

Ruto instructed the Ministry of Mining, including the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary, to accelerate the process of bringing the investors on board.

The latest directives follow the government’s September 2026 decision to have Tata Chemicals Magadi exit Kenya.

The company, which is part of India’s Tata Group, operates around Lake Magadi, approximately 120 kilometres southwest of Nairobi.

It has been exporting more than 350,000 tonnes of soda ash annually to international markets, including India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other parts of Africa.

Ruto had previously criticised the company’s operations, arguing that Kenya was losing out by exporting raw soda ash instead of processing it into products such as glass and chemicals locally.

The government now intends to attract new investors who can establish manufacturing facilities and increase the economic benefits derived from Magadi’s mineral resources.

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