Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has criticised President William Ruto over what he termed inconsistent government decisions surrounding Tata Chemicals Magadi.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, September 9, Sifuna questioned why the President ordered the company to shut down and leave Kenya, only for the government to establish a committee days later to review the issues surrounding its operations.
Sifuna argued that directives issued from the highest office should take into account existing laws and established procedures.
He warned that abrupt government pronouncements followed by reversals could undermine investor confidence and raise concerns among potential investors watching developments in Kenya.
The senator’s remarks came after Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho announced that the government had agreed with Tata Chemicals Magadi to establish a high-level technical committee to address outstanding compliance concerns.
Joho said the committee would bring together senior officials from the Ministry of Mining and representatives of the company to conduct a detailed review of the unresolved issues and recommend a way forward.
Also Read: Joho Forms Committee To Resolve Tata Chemicals Magadi Compliance Dispute
The committee will be led by the Principal Secretary for Mining and the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Among the matters expected to be reviewed are mineral beneficiation and local value addition, community benefits, royalty obligations, land issues and concerns involving the Kajiado County Government.
The development came days after Ruto confirmed that he had ordered the shutdown of Tata Chemicals Magadi.
Speaking in Kajiado County on September 3, the President accused the company of holding a soda ash mining licence for about 100 years without making adequate investments in the county or creating sufficient employment opportunities for local residents.
Ruto said the government would seek a new investor for Lake Magadi’s soda ash resources, with the replacement investor expected to establish a glass manufacturing plant and a chemicals factory in Kajiado.
