Top 5 Cement Firms in Kenya

The Kenyan construction industry has experienced speedy growth in the past decade driven by a huge demand for housing and the government’s focus on mega infrastructure projects.

Thriving in tandem with the sector, the production of cement rose from a low of 154,781 tonnes in January 2005 to a monthly record-high of 584,780 tonnes in November 2016.

Indeed, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that cement consumption in the country hit 6.5 million tonnes last year up from 5.9 million tonnes in 2019, driven by developers who defied Covid-19-related restrictions to build their properties.

The 2020 consumption level is just 200,000 tonnes shy of the all-time record of 6.7 million tonnes that were consumed in 2014 during construction of the standard gauge railway.

Attracted by this growth, several companies have ventured into the cement business in Kenya bringing to five the total number of top cement producers in the country.

Of the five, only two cement companies, namely East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), and Bamburi Cement, are listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

The five biggest cement manufacturers in Kenya include:-

1. Bamburi Cement Limited

Bamburi is the largest cement company in Kenya – boasting local preeminence in production and market share with a 32.6 per cent control of the market. It was founded in 1951.

Who owns Bamburi Cement?

Lafarge Group, the largest cement manufacturer in the world, is the company’s largest shareholder controlling a 58.6 per cent stake with Old Mutual Life Assurance Company, Kenya Reinsurance Corporation and the NSSF being the other major shareholders.

The company has two plants located in Bamburi and Athi River, with a total production of 2.1 million tonnes per year and has a subsidiary in Uganda (Hima Cement Limited).

Besides cement, the company also produces precast concrete and paving blocks and is the undisputed leader of cement business in Kenya.

2. National Cement Company

The company was founded by the Devki Group in 2008. The producer of Simba Cement was previously the smallest of the then six largest producers with 8 per cent market share.

However, National Cement has seen its market share rise to 21 per cent following the acquisition of ARM Africa Plc., the producer of Rhino Cement, which was once the third largest cement manufacturer in Kenya.

READ: Devki Shakes Up Nakuru Cement Market With Price Cuts

National Cement, whose main factories are in Athi River, has an annual production capacity of 2 million tonnes of Portland cement. The company also produces paving blocks.

3. Mombasa Cement

A subsidiary of Tororo Cement Limited-Uganda, Mombasa cement was established in 2007 and has a production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes annually.

The plant is located in Athi River and produces the brand ‘Nyumba Cement’ which has grabbed a sizable market share from older and more established companies to become the second biggest player with a 15.8 per cent control.

The large market share has been largely attributed to price competitiveness.

READ: Cement Firms Fight for Clients as New Rivals Flood Market

4. East Africa Portland Cement Company

Established in 1933, EAPCC is the pioneer cement company in the country. It initially imported cement until 1956 when it started its first manufacturing plant in Athi River.

EAPCC is the third largest cement company in Kenya, controlling about 15.1 per cent of the total market share and an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tonnes.

The company had for a long time held the second place with a 25 per cent control after Bamburi Cement but was dislodged by Mombasa Cement due to a financial turbulence that started in 2015 as a result of board room wars over company ownership.

EAPCC produces Blue Triangle cement – one of the best cement in Kenya.

5. Savannah Cement

This is one of the newest entrant into the cement business in Kenya, having opened in Athi River in 2012. The firm has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.

The company’s brand, Savannah Cement, commands a 15 per cent share of the cement market making it the fifth largest cement manufacturer in the country.

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