Ruto Changes Tune on Tata Magadi Chemicals, Forms Committee to Solve 5 Issues

Ruto Ends Magadi Contract, Orders Fresh Bidding

The Government has formed a high-level technical committee to review outstanding compliance matters at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited following the suspension of the company’s operations.

In a statement on September 8, 2026, Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho said the committee was agreed upon during a meeting with executives of Tata Chemicals Magadi at his office.

“Following the suspension of operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited, today at my office I led a fruitful engagement with the Company’s executives regarding the compliance concerns we raised as a Ministry,” Joho said.

Committee To Review Outstanding Matters

The committee will be led by the Principal Secretary for Mining on behalf of the Ministry and the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited on behalf of the company.

Together, the two sides will undertake a detailed technical review of the outstanding and unresolved compliance matters before submitting a report to Joho’s office for consideration and further direction.

The key unresolved matters to be addressed include:

Mineral beneficiation and in-country value addition
Outstanding community benefits and royalty obligations
Unresolved land matters
Opening up the area for multiple mineral extraction
Outstanding matters with the Kajiado County Government

Also Read: Ruto Announces Major Changes to Magadi Mining Deal After Tata Exit

Meanwhile, Joho said the Government would continue engaging investors constructively while firmly upholding Kenya’s laws, regulations and the interests of its people.

“As Government, we remain committed to constructive engagement with investors while firmly upholding Kenya’s laws, regulations and the interests of its people,” he said.

Suspension Triggered Government Action

The committee follows the suspension of operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited, with the Ministry seeking to address the compliance concerns that prompted the move.

Following the suspension, the company engaged the Ministry on the outstanding matters, leading to the latest agreement to establish a joint technical mechanism for reviewing them.

Tata Chemicals Magadi’s Kajiado Operations

Tata Chemicals Magadi operates a soda ash facility at Lake Magadi in Kajiado County, where it extracts and processes trona into soda ash.

The mineral serves as a raw material for industries such as glass manufacturing and detergents.

Also Read: Ruto Issues Ultimatum to Tata Chemicals Magadi or Face Action

For the Government, resolving the outstanding matters will also create an opportunity to strengthen the framework governing mining, community benefits and value addition.

“The objective is not only to resolve the outstanding compliance matters but also to establish a sustainable framework that promotes responsible mining, value addition, community development and mutually beneficial partnerships,” Joho said.

The technical committee will now conduct its review and submit its findings to the Cabinet Secretary for consideration and further direction.

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Joho has formed a high-level technical committee with Tata Chemicals Magadi to address outstanding compliance issues involving mining, royalties and land

A photo of Mining CS Hassan Joho speaking during the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals and Beneficiation, organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on July 10, 2026.