Three Tycoons Are Spending US$600 Million to Stop East Africa Importing Cement's Key Ingredient

KENYA · INDUSTRY

Key Facts

—The headline number: Three industrialists have committed at least Sh133 billion (about US$1.03 billion) to cement acquisitions and new clinker plants across East Africa in the past three years. Roughly Sh77 billion (about US$600 million) of that is clinker capacity in Kenya.

—Why clinker: Clinker is the kiln-fired intermediate that gives cement its strength, and it is the costly part to make. East Africa has largely imported it while grinding cement locally.

—Raval’s plant: Devki Group’s Cemtech plant at Sebit in West Pokot cost about Sh45 billion (about US$347 million) and was opened by President William Ruto in April 2024. It produces 6,000 tonnes of clinker a day, roughly 2 million tonnes a year, with grinding at Eldoret.