East African Portland Cement boss Kephar Tande has said the government is set to build a second cement factory in Kajiado.
Tande said plans are underway for the construction of a fully-fledged cement factory in Nooleleshuani area of Kajiado and is expected to be in operation in 2016.
He said the site for the construction of the factory is next to the limestone-rich Maasai plains which are the major source of cement raw materials in
Kajiado county that are supplied to all the five companies based in Athi River.
The company, Tande said, is planning to expand its capacity to produce more clinker and cement.
“This will ensure its position in the Kenyan market remains strong and help it eventually acquire leadership. We are currently carrying out feasibility studies for a clinkerisation plant in Nooleleshuani near Bisil and will install a new cement mill by 2016 to increase our cement production capacity to two million tonnes annually,” he said.
The announcement by EAPCC to build a new cement factory comes a few days after cement makers increased prices of the key construction commodity in the wake of a new mining levy imposed by the Ministry of Mining.
Ex-factory prices – those at which wholesalers buy from manufacturers at the factory – were hiked by up to five per cent on Monday; meaning the increase at retail outlets will be even higher when delivery costs and other charges are factored in.
By Kurgat Marindany
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