Residents of Magadi have urged the government and Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited to use the suspension of the company's mining operations to resolve long-standing community grievances, including royalty payments, land use, employment and implementation of development agreements.
Speaking to the media in Magadi, the residents, led by Magadi Ward MCA Isaac Kiresian and members of the Ilmakati Professional Association (IPA), welcomed the decision by Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho to suspend the company's operations over regulatory non-compliance.
"As the people of Magadi, we request the government and Tata Chemicals Magadi to also address our complaints even as they discuss compliance issues. As the company complies, we need our due share as a community," said Kiresian.
The community raised concerns over the implementation of the Community Development Agreement (CDA), saying that although it was signed on August 4, 2019, and submitted to the Ministry of Mining, it has not been fully implemented.
Residents claimed they have not received the 20 per cent share of royalties they are entitled to, adding that the community continues to face challenges such as inadequate access to water, poor infrastructure and limited socio-economic opportunities.
They also called for a review of colonial-era agreements signed in 1904 and 1911, arguing that the company occupies vast tracts of land that remain unused and should be returned to the local community.
The government suspended all mining operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited after finding that the company had not fully met several legal and regulatory requirements despite years of engagement with the State Department for Mining.
In a statement dated July 29, 2026, Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho announced the immediate suspension, saying the company will remain out of operation until it demonstrates full compliance with the Mining Act, its regulations and other laws governing Kenya's mining sector.
The ministry said the action follows prolonged discussions with Tata Chemicals Magadi over its statutory obligations, but several key issues remain unresolved.
Among the concerns raised by the ministry are the absence of a clear mineral beneficiation and value addition strategy, outstanding royalty reconciliation and payment obligations, insufficient export reporting and reconciliation, poor implementation of Community Development Agreements (CDAs), inadequate employment and skills transfer plans for Kenyan citizens, weak procurement of local goods and services, and environmental compliance shortfalls.
"The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hon. Hassan Ali Joho, has ordered the immediate suspension of all mining operations by Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited until the company fully complies with the Mining Act, its Regulations and all other applicable laws governing Kenya's mining sector," the statement said.