Governor Joseph Lenku has threatened to close down Tata Chemicals’s godowns in Kajiado town over “health issues”.
“I have taken the decision to save the lives of Kajiado town residents from the agony of the emissions that are threatening the safety of children,” he said.
He spoke on Saturday during Education executive Samuel Seki’s thanksgiving in Dalalekutuk ward, Kajiado Central subcounty.
The godowns accommodate hundreds of metric tonnes of finished products and soda ash from the company’s plant in Magadi for export through the Port of Mombasa.
On Sunday, Tata Chemicals put out a statement saying it has approvals from Nema to operate in Kajiado town.
“We are monitoring and evaluating very closely the words attributed to governor Lenku, and we shall respond to them immediately he makes them formal,” the statement read.
The company has been embroiled in a feud with Lenku’s administration with Tata Chemicals demolishing structures owned by the county last month claiming they were “illegally” put up on its land.
The county lodged a case against the firm.
Tata Chemicals inherited the company that leased more than 224,000 acres of land in Magadi Ward, Kajiado West, in 1928.
Lenku said the company signed an agreement with the Iloodokilani community in 2004 to cede some acres to the local community.
“This company has refused to abide by the rules under the Mining Act 2016, which stipulates its conduct with the local community. Already we have asked the county assembly to investigate their conduct and why it does not follow laid down regulations provided by the law,” he said.
The county has also said the company has accumulated Sh17 billion arrears in land rates and royalties.
The company petitioned the county government through the courts over their high land rates and demand for the same in a case expected to begin on February 22.