President Ruto revokes Tata Chemicals Magadi's mining license over unfulfilled commitments
President William Ruto announced the revocation of Tata Chemicals Magadi's mining license, citing the company's failure to meet investment commitments, including local employment and industrial development, over a 100-year period. Speaking in Kajiado County, Ruto stated that a new investor would be brought in under strict conditions to establish glass and chemical manufacturing plants in the area. He emphasized that the incoming company must build both a glass manufacturing plant and a chemicals factory within Kajiado county. However, leaders allied with former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party DCP criticized the decision, demanding its reversal. Nyandarua senator John Methu alleged that the closure was motivated by significant lithium and oil deposits beneath the Magadi area, rather than regulatory non-compliance. Methu further claimed that President Ruto had a pattern of maneuvering to gain access to natural resource sites across the country and accused him of pursuing personal interests. The DCP leaders warned that the shutdown could lead to job losses for thousands of workers and their families.
