https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e3py6rx2ro
Trona, a mineral found in Kenya’s Lake Magadi, is one of the many natural brines that has been used by Tata Chemicals, an Indian company that makes soda ash, since they went under contract 100 years ago. Soda ash can be found in most glass wear, laundry detergents, textiles, and paper. Kenya is the fourth largest producer of the worlds soda ash, and should have a thriving economy due to how rich in minerals the country is. But, in a recent rally with William Ruto, President of Kenya, he states that the company should “pack up and leave.” According to President Ruto, Tata Chemicals usually exports the soda ash they make back to India and has yet to build a factory in Kajiado, Kenya’s capital. Ruto claims that the company has not given anything to Kenya’s economy and isn’t benefiting Kenya in any way. I think that Africa countries should have a right to profit off their own natural resources. We see this a lot in countries that have been colonized by the west, where the west still has a lot of control over the country. I think Kenya is setting an example for other countries in the surrounding area to not allow the mistreatment of their natural resources. This could mean good things for the region, in terms of not letting western powers fully control the regions minerals. The article doesn’t explain what pushed Ruto to do this, but it’s highly likely he was getting fed up with not enough of Tata Chemicals’ proceeds going to Kenya’s government and overall population. There are two stakeholders in this event; President Ruto and Tata Chemicals. While Ruto was not too kind in his insistence on the company leaving, the company respected his decision and said they are waiting on feedback from the Kenyan government. Ruto’s response, while possibly justified, might’ve been worded improperly. On the contrary, Tata Chemicals’ response to the Presidents invitation to leave, was polite and well-rounded. Now, this could mean that the company doesn’t see losing the contract as an actual loss, or it could mean they simply are going to respect the Presidents decision, whether they find another country to back up their mineral farming or not. Ruto’s power over the company is interesting. The company backed off rather easily, making it seem as though Ruto has a lot of power over the company. It’s going to be interesting to see how the two parties handle the end of their interdependence, and how each will fare without each other. Overall, the break of this contract could mean a completely new era for Kenya and the region as a whole, allowing for the African countries to gain more autonomy with their minerals over time.