Magadi residents demand stake in Tata Chemicals

Jeff: Barely four days after the government suspended Tata Chemicals Magadi operations over what it termed non-compliance with local mining laws, Magadi residents are now demanding greater community involvement in the operations and management of the company. Olive: They have also demanded the return of the vast concession zones 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 by extracting minerals from their land and degrading the environment without any tangible benefits to the host community. Mary Muoki reports.