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Devki Set to Begin Work on Pokot Cement Factory

The project was launched in 2010 but failed to start.

Updated

Dangote cement factory
The cement factory will be completed in about 18 months. PHOTO | FILE

After more than a decade of delays, negotiations, financial agonies — and a ton of patience — construction is finally set to begin on a much-awaited cement factory in West Pokot.

The multi-billion-shilling project was launched in 2010 by Cemtech Ltd., a subsidiary of Sanghi Group of India, but failed to start after the company suffered financial difficulties.

In 2018, Cemtech said it had secured all the approvals for the commencement of phase one of the Sh12 billion cement factory, marking a key milestone for the project.

However, construction did not take off and in 2019 the company opted to sell the project to Simba Cement, a subsidiary of Devki Group, for an undisclosed amount of money.

Simba Cement, which is currently holding public participation barazas for the project, was granted rights to operate in areas such as Ortun, Ivon, Marich, Sebiit, Puseli, and Chepkol.

According to Devki Group chairman Narendra Raval, the company is engaging residents to empower the community to reap the full benefits of the project.

”The firm is currently holding public participation and consultative forums with residents and leaders of the area,” Mr Raval said in an interview with The Star newspaper.

The cement plant will sit on 650 acres that were acquired by Cemtech for Sh131 million.

Devki is investing heavily in the production of cement at a time when the demand for the commodity is intensifying on growing public infrastructure and home construction projects.

RELATED: Kenya’s Cement Demand Rises 27% on State Projects

Last year, the company opened a Sh5.8 billion cement plant in Salgaa, Nakuru. The plant has the capacity to produce up to 750,000 tonnes of Simba cement brand.

Devki says the Salgaa factory has enabled it to sell a 50kg bag of cement at Sh530 in Nakuru and its environs, down from Sh750. The factory employs more than 1,000 people.

According to the Economic Survey 2021, which was released last week by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, cement consumption rose 21.3% from 6.1 million tonnes in 2019 to 7.4 million tonnes in 2020.

The KNBS had in August said the local cement market saw a demand increase of 26.6% in the first five months of 2021, driven by public infrastructure and home construction projects.

According to the statistics agency, consumption of cement stood at 3.35 million tons in the January to May window compared to 2.64 million tons last year.

Jane Mwangasha is a gifted reporter with a degree in Journalism from the University of Nairobi. Her passion for covering the latest in construction news is backed by years of experience in the industry.