Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered Tata Chemicals to immediately halt its operations in Kenya

Kenyan President William Ruto has told Indian conglomerate Tata Chemicals to stop work and "pack and go" from its major production site at Lake Magadi in Kajiado County. The facility mines trona, a natural mineral used to make soda ash-a vital ingredient for producing glass, soaps, and detergents. While the mining site has operated under a century-long historical concession that Tata took over in 2005, the Kenyan government has now moved to cancel its presence.

Ruto accused the company of taking Kenya's natural wealth without creating real development or opportunities for local citizens. He stated that despite holding the mining rights for decades, the company never built finished-product factories in the region, choosing instead to export raw materials to India and other overseas markets. The eviction follows weeks of tension after Kenya’s mining ministry temporarily halted the company's exports over regulatory disputes and unpaid royalties.

The Kenyan government plans to replace Tata with new investors who will be legally required to build large domestic factories to manufacture glass and industrial chemicals locally. While Tata Chemicals has maintained that it complies with all government regulations, the sudden shutdown has raised serious local worries about immediate job losses for hundreds of workers and disruptions to basic community services in the area.