How a mine closure left Kenya’s Maasai without water

For over a century, Indian conglomerate Tata Chemicals has mined rare trona ore in southern Kenya. The company extracts the mineral from neighboring Lake Magadi, exports it and processes it into glass and cleaning products. For decades, the mine operator provided the remote region not only with jobs — but also with water.

But when the Kenyan government temporarily shut down the mine amid a controversial contract dispute, the water supply for around 30,000 Maasai largely dried up. Now, many of them have to walk for hours to collect water.

Every day brings a struggle for survival. Limited water deliveries to the Maasai communities all fall far short of meeting their significant needs.

This report tells the story of a region where water has become a bargaining chip and shows how closely the fate of thousands of people can rest upon a single mine.