Kenyan cement output up in first 11 months of 2014

Six Kenyan cement producers have raised output from 4,637,081 metric tonnes in the first 11 months of 2013 to 5,208,934 metric tonnes during the same period in 2014, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

KNBS said that the cement companies are operating at excess capacity and output already exceeded 5,059,129tonnes in the full year of 2013. The domestic market used 87% of total cement produced on average and it is expected that road projects, construction of Terminal Four in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and standard railway gauge will boost demand for cement in 2015. Other projects expected to raise demand for cement include the US$11.04 million (KES 1 billion) Madiba Mall in Nyeri, the KES 22.3 billion Garden City Mall and Two Rivers Development project by Centum. 7843 Cemtech is spending KES 10 billion to build a cement plant in Pokot and Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian billionaire is planning to invest KES 34.6 billion to build a cement plant with capacity of 5,500tonnes/day in Kitui. Meanwhile, 7789 ARM intends to spend KES 27 billion to raise cement capacity, National Cement will build a plant costing KES 19.4 billion and Savannah will spend KES 18 billion to build its second plant at Athi River in 2015.