MAGADI, Kajiado, Sep 5 — President William Ruto has said companies awarded mining contracts at Lake Magadi will be required to establish processing and manufacturing facilities in Kenya, as he moves to end the export of raw minerals without local value addition.

📻 Breaking It Down

Ruto said Kenya must break from a model in which minerals and other raw materials are extracted and exported while finished products are imported, arguing that the practice deprives communities and the country of jobs, wealth and industrial opportunities.

“Our minerals must create value at home, generate wealth for Kajiado, create jobs for our young people and stimulate local industries,” he said.

The President said the contract for mining operations at Magadi will be advertised following the expiry of the existing arrangement with Tata Chemicals Ltd, which he said will not be renewed.

📌 What You Need to Know

He said the government would no longer allow a single company to monopolise operations at Magadi at the expense of local residents and the wider economy.

Magadi is rich in soda ash, a mineral used in the manufacture of glass, chemicals and other industrial products.

Ruto said his decision not to renew the Tata Chemicals contract was irreversible, arguing that the nearly century-old arrangement had been exploitative and extractive and had failed to deliver sufficient benefits to Kenyans, particularly residents of Kajiado.

“For nearly 100 years, Kenyans, especially the people of Kajiado, have not received their fair share of benefits from the minerals extracted from their land,” he said.

The President criticised politicians opposing the termination of the Tata Chemicals arrangement, accusing them of defending commercial arrangements that do not serve Kenya’s interests.

“You have no clarity on the Magadi issue. You talk about the rule of law, but there is no rule of law that undermines the interests of Kenyans and the people of Kajiado,” Ruto said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya