NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that Tata Chemicals was pressured to pay Sh9 billion or surrender a 40 per cent stake in its Kenyan operations before President William Ruto ordered the company to leave the country.
Gachagua made the allegation while accusing the Ruto administration of creating panic among foreign investors and warning that Kenya risked damaging its reputation as an investment destination.
“Indian investors have looked for me sharing their plight. Over 400 Indian Bussinessmen have shut down their investments after Mr. William Ruto and his tribal cronies demanded shares from these investors,” he said.
The DCP leader added that, “Mr. William Ruto has gone rogue and he is on an historic high looting spree after intelligence reports presented to him confirmed that he will be voted out of office next year on 10th August 2027. Tata Chemicals have been targeted after refusing to pay a bribe of Kshs 9 Billion or surrender 40% shares to Mr. William Ruto.”
Gachagua, who is on a 2-month tour of the United States, said investors were worried over abtirarlly decisions by President Ruto.
“As we speak, Kenya is facing an economic crisis of unprecedented magnitude; foreign investors are now in panic while new investors are afraid on investing in Kenya,” he said.
Ruto has openly confirmed that he personally ordered Tata Chemicals to leave Kenya, while giving a very different explanation for the decision.
Speaking in Kajiado on September 3, Ruto said Tata had held a licence to exploit soda ash at Lake Magadi for about 100 years but had failed to invest sufficiently in the county.
“That Tata Chemicals company has had a licence for 100 years but has not built anything in Kajiado or employed any people from Kajiado,” Ruto said.
Ruto accused the company of extracting Kenya’s resources and shipping them abroad without creating enough local industries or jobs.
“I told them to pack up and leave,” he said, according to reports of his remarks in Kajiado.
The President said Kenya would instead bring in new investors and impose conditions requiring them to establish manufacturing industries locally.
One of the proposed investments would be a large glass factory, while another would process chemicals in Kajiado. Ruto questioned whether Kenya should continue exporting raw materials instead of processing them locally.
“Are we slaves to other people?” he asked.
Tata Chemicals has meanwhile disputed the suggestion that it was operating outside the law.
The company said it had submitted comprehensive information requested by Kenya’s Ministry of Mining and was awaiting the government’s review, while maintaining that it is compliant with applicable regulatory requirements.
