The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has accused President William Ruto’s administration of using regulatory measures to force the closure of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited, alleging that the move is linked to business interests surrounding mineral and oil resources in the Magadi area.
Addressing the media on Thursday, September 3, 2026, DCP secretary general, John Methu, said the party was speaking on behalf of thousands of people who directly and indirectly benefit from the operations of the company, as well as Kenyans who could be affected by the closure.
Methu condemned what he termed a “reckless, economically suicidal and legally rogue directive” by the Ministry of Mining to shut down Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited.
“This is a dictatorial decree issued under the guise of regulatory compliance,” Methu said, describing the directive as “state-sponsored economic sabotage.”
According to the DCP, the closure could push thousands of families who depend on the company’s operations into economic hardship.
The party further claimed that the official reasons given for the closure were a cover for what it described as wider interests in the natural resources found in the Magadi area.
Methu alleged that the region holds significant deposits of rare earth metals and has oil exploration potential, claims that would require verification by the relevant government agencies and independent geological assessments.
“The truth of the matter is there are huge deposits worth trillions of shillings of rare earth metals underneath the Magadi area,” Methu claimed.
He also alleged that the Ruto administration was seeking to take control of natural resources for private interests.
Methu linked the Magadi controversy to what he described as previous attempts to pursue Kenya’s mineral and petroleum resources, citing areas including Turkana, Shimba Hills, Laikipia, Narok, Kakamega and Amboseli.
He accused President Ruto of seeking either to remove Tata Chemicals from the area or secure a majority stake in the company before introducing Gulf-based energy partners for oil exploration.
“Mr. William Ruto, in his insatiable appetite for material wealth, wants to create a crisis by throwing out Tata Chemicals or get a majority shareholding to bring in his Gulf energy associates to do oil exploration and cash away with the fortune,” Methu alleged.
Ruto defends the closure
President William Ruto has defended the government’s decision to end Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited’s operations, arguing that the company has extracted resources from Lake Magadi for decades without doing enough to create jobs, industries and economic opportunities for residents of Kajiado County.
Speaking in Kajiado County on Thursday, September 3, 2026, Ruto said the government would seek a new investor to take over the exploitation of resources at Lake Magadi, but with conditions requiring greater local value addition and employment.
Ruto said Tata Chemicals had held a licence to exploit resources at Lake Magadi for about a century but had failed to establish significant manufacturing industries in Kajiado.
“We have Lake Magadi, we have a big company, we have resources that can change Kajiado County and Kenya as a whole. Tata Chemicals Company, which is here in Kajiado, has been running its contract for over 100 years,” Ruto said.
