NAIROBI, Kenya — East African Portland Cement Plc (EAPC) has secured a major operational lifeline after majority shareholder Kalahari Cement committed up to US$200 million to finance a comprehensive turnaround and modernisation programme aimed at tripling the company’s cement production capacity.
The investment is expected to lift EAPC’s annual output from its current installed capacity of 1.3 million metric tonnes to nearly 4 million tonnes within the next three years, marking one of the most significant industrial revival plans in Kenya’s manufacturing sector.
The production enhancement programme will focus on staff welfare improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, and full modernisation of clinkerisation and grinding facilities, positioning EAPC for long-term competitiveness in a growing regional cement market.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data released in November 2025, cement consumption rose sharply as public and private construction expanded.
Cement production reached 9.5 million metric tonnes in the first eleven months of 2025, up from 8.1 million metric tonnes during the same period in 2024, underscoring strong domestic demand.
Kalahari Cement, a locally incorporated investment firm and subsidiary of the pan-African Amsons Group, acquired a 69pc equity stake in EAPC earlier this year.
The firm has since advanced its strategic long-term investment plan aligned with President William Ruto’s 10-year national infrastructure development roadmap, covering roads, railways, airports and oil pipeline projects.
Speaking during a recent fact-finding visit to EAPC’s integrated manufacturing plant in Kajiado County, Amsons Group Managing Director Mr. Edha Nahdi confirmed that the investment programme is at an advanced stage.
“We have secured up to US$200 million in the first phase of EAPC’s modernisation agenda. Amsons is a family-owned business with a shared prosperity model, prioritising staff welfare and stakeholder value,” Nahdi said.
EAPC Managing Director Mohamed Osman Adan, accompanied by senior Amsons executives, confirmed that the company had already commissioned a leading global Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor to deliver a turnkey clinkerisation plant design.
Staff representatives welcomed the acquisition, saying it clears longstanding uncertainty around EAPC’s future and restores confidence in job security and operational sustainability.
“We now have a new lease of life at EAPC. The turnaround plan removes investment uncertainty and secures jobs for staff and their families,” employees said during the visit.
Kalahari Cement noted that the expanded production capacity will enable EAPC to reclaim market share and support Kenya’s ambitious Sh5 trillion, 10-year infrastructure plan, which is being financed partly through the National Infrastructure Fund.
“The availability of quality local cement and concrete products will be central to Kenya’s economic transformation,” Mr. Nahdi added.
Amsons Group operates across multiple sectors, including cement manufacturing, logistics, fuel distribution, agriculture and bulk oil infrastructure, with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Once fully implemented, the EAPC turnaround is expected to strengthen local manufacturing, reduce reliance on cement imports and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, reinforcing the company’s role in Kenya’s industrial growth agenda.
