Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho has held talks with executives of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited following the suspension of operations at the company over unresolved compliance concerns.
Joho said the meeting held at his office on Tuesday resulted in an agreement to establish a high-level technical committee to work towards resolving the outstanding issues.
The committee will be jointly led by the Principal Secretary for Mining on behalf of the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited on behalf of the company.
According to Joho, the committee will undertake a detailed technical review of the unresolved compliance matters and prepare a report for submission to his office for consideration and further direction.
Among the key issues to be addressed are mineral beneficiation and in-country value addition, outstanding community benefits and royalty obligations, and unresolved land matters.
The committee will also examine the opening up of the area for multiple mineral extraction and outstanding matters between the company and the Kajiado County Government.
The development comes after the government suspended operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited amid concerns over compliance with mining requirements.
Joho said the government remained committed to engaging investors constructively while ensuring that Kenyan laws, regulations and the interests of local communities were upheld.
He said the government’s objective was to resolve the outstanding compliance matters while establishing a sustainable framework to promote responsible mining, value addition, community development and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Tata Chemicals Magadi is one of Kenya’s major mining companies and has operated in Magadi, Kajiado County, where it extracts soda ash, a mineral used in the manufacture of glass and other industrial products.
