Billionaire Narendra Raval’s Simba Cement is set to open in West Pokot in July. According to Raval, the plant is nearing completion and its first production is set to be issued in August, a month after it starts operations.
The new plant will see Simba Cement produce an additional 2.5 million tonnes of clinker, which is the raw material involved in the manufacturing of cement.
“The plant is on the final stage of completion with the first production expected to be out by August,” Raval told local media.
The plant will become the second largest in Kenya after the Emali plant that is also owned by Raval. The Emali plant currently produces 3.5 tonnes of clinker annually.
Through his National Cement Company, Mr. Raval will now become the biggest producer of clinker in the East African region. His three cement companies will be responsible for the production of some 7.5 million tonnes of clinker.
The new plant follows an acquisition that saw Mr. Raval buy out Cemtech Limited in 2019. Cemtech had initially proposed to set up the processing factory at at Sebit-Ortum in West Pokot County.
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Cemtech was expected to directly employ over 1,000 people and benefit thousands of residents in the arid region indirectly. The company had acquired 650 acres of land in the area for the building and running of the factory.
Cemtech was owned by the Indian conglomerate Sanghi Group and had initially purposed to start operating in the area in January 2016.