Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, locals storm soda ash firm

Governor Joseph Ole Lenku and Magadi Town residents storm Tata chemicals company.

Governor Joseph Ole Lenku on Friday led residents to storm a soda ash company in Magadi Town over accumulated land rates.

In a dramatic move, Lenku, who was accompanied by four MCAs, ordered the residents to storm Tata Chemicals Limited, Africa's largest soda ash manufacturer and one of Kenya's leading exporters, terming it "our property".

"We have been pleading with the management of this company to pay land rates amounting to Sh17 billion, and they seem not to listen to us. Therefore, today we will take the law in to our hands and repossess what is ours," said the governor.

Workers hurriedly closed their offices as machine operators switched them off and sought cover when a huge crowd of Maasai morans and middle-aged women stormed the factory singing war songs.

The police watched helplessly from a distance.