By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Kenya’s President William Ruto on Friday directed Tata Chemicals to leave the country, accusing the Indian company of failure to generate any economic impact in one of Kenya’s most important export sectors.
Tata Chemicals produces soda ash from Lake Magadi that is used in the manufacture of glass, soaps and detergents.
Kenya’s exports of soda ash came to 254,779 tons, valued at $56.9 million, in the year to July 2025, according to government data.
The company should “pack and leave” in place of a new investor, Ruto said at a public rally.
Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited has been in Kenya since 2005. Its operations were suspended by Kenya’s ministry of mining in July, pending a “compliance review.”
Ruto said while soda ash from Lake Magadi is capable of changing Kenya for the better, the Indian company has “not built anything in Kajiado,” the county where the lake is located. “They have not built any factory or employed people,” he said.
“I told them to pack and leave. They have been taking our resources and shipping them to India. We will bring a new company and the condition set is they must build a glass factory here,” the Kenyan leader added.
Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited said in a communication to the National Stock Exchange of India on Friday that it is “fully compliant” in Kenya and is awaiting communication from the Kenyan government regarding a review of its operations.
The company did not say whether it had officially received orders to leave Kenya, but added said it remains “committed to constructive engagement.”
Soda ash is produced from trona, a naturally occurring sodium carbonate mineral extracted from Lake Magadi. Large scale commercial production of soda ash in the area started in 1911.
Ruto had earlier in the week ordered a clampdown on foreigners operating small businesses in the country, accusing them of competing with Kenyans.
