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Chinese firm plans to build brick and tile factory in Kajiado

Construction of the factory is expected to start later in the year.

Updated

El Moumtaza roofing tile factory in Algeria.
El Moumtaza roofing tile factory in Algeria. PHOTO | COURTESY

Shanghai-listed Keda Clean Energy Company is set to build a brick and tile factory in Kajiado as it seeks to tap into Kenya’s construction boom.

According to the firm’s chairman Bian Cheng, Keda has already acquired a 60 acre parcel of land in Kajiado County, on the Namanga road, where construction of the factory is expected to start later in the year.

“We want to set up a manufacturing plant to produce construction equipment for use in the country,” Bian said during his recent tour of the site.

“The establishment of this plant is a positive move as we will source raw material and labour force from the surrounding community,” he added.

Bian said that his company had undertaken an environmental impact assessment for the project and had met the requisite environmental standards for the factory.

The company is yet to disclose the project costs, construction schedule and production capacity of the factory that is expected to give the local community about 350 direct jobs.

Keda Clean Energy Company manufactures and distributes machinery products, mainly stone machinery, building material processing machinery and ceramic machinery.

It joins a growing list of international companies that are setting up shop in Kenya in a bid to ride the countries decade-long construction boom.

READ: Foreign investors bet big on Kenya’s real estate market

Grand Towers Property Fund of South Africa, Mauritian-based Xterra Capital and Finnish Taaleritehdas have recently announced major investment plans for Kenya, signalling better days ahead for the country’s construction sector.

The roll out of mega projects in road, rail and ports is enticing foreigners to invest billions of shillings into the country, with investments ranging from commercial real estate ventures to building materials production and consultancy.

The local real estate boom has also provided a huge market for construction chemicals, with international chemicals manufacturers such as BASF and US-based X-Calibur setting up plants in Nairobi to produce their products locally.

John Nduire is an experienced journalist with a degree in Communications from Daystar University. His reporting is informed by a wealth of knowledge gained from years of covering construction news.