Magadi residents demand greater say before Tata chemicals resumes operations

Barely four days after the government suspended Tata Chemicals Magadi operations, over what it termed as non-compliance with local mining laws, Magadi residents are now demanding greater community involvement in the operations and management of the company, as well as the return of the vast concession zones back to the community before the company can be allowed to resume operations. The community is accusing Tata Chemicals, which is Africa’s largest soda ash manufacturer, of exploiting them to extract minerals from their land and degrade the environment, without any tangible benefits to the host community.