Mining CS Joho forms technical committee to resolve Magadi dispute

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan, Ali Joho, has announced the formation of a high-level technical committee to address outstanding compliance issues following the suspension of operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited.

Joho said the committee will be led by the Principal Secretary for Mining on behalf of the Ministry and the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited on behalf of the Company.

The CS in a statement to newsrooms explained that the committee will conduct a comprehensive review of the unresolved matters and submit its findings to his office for further direction.

The development follows a meeting between Joho and the company’s executives to discuss compliance concerns raised by the Ministry.

Among the key issues the committee is expected to address are mineral beneficiation and in-country value addition, outstanding community benefits and royalty obligations, unresolved land matters and the opening up of the area for multiple mineral extraction.

The committee will also examine outstanding matters involving the Kajiado County Government.

Joho said the Government remained committed to engaging investors constructively while ensuring compliance with Kenya’s laws and regulations and safeguarding the interests of Kenyan citizens.

He said the Government’s objective was not only to resolve the outstanding issues but also to establish a sustainable framework that promotes responsible mining, value addition, community development and mutually beneficial partnerships.

The formation of the technical committee is expected to provide a structured mechanism for resolving the outstanding concerns between the Government and Tata Chemicals Magadi.

By Joseph Ng’ang’a