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Kenyan tycoon Narendra Raval, founder and chairman of the Devki Group, has applied for a license to prospect iron ore in Taita Taveta County as part of his plan to set up the region’s first primary steel plant. The application was disclosed by Mining Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho in a gazette notice.
According to the notice, Joho invited objections from individuals or communities who may be opposed to the application. They have 20 days from the date of publication—September 10—to submit their concerns.
“Pursuant to section 34 of the Mining Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs notifies receipt of an application for a prospecting license from Devki Steel Mills,” Joho said.
Devki eyes 7,610 acres for iron ore
The application covers 30.8 square kilometers, or about 7,610 acres. Iron ore, which is mainly used to make pig iron, is a key raw material in steel production. Industry data shows about 98 percent of mined iron ore globally goes into steelmaking.
For Raval, known in business circles as “Guru,” the project would add to a decades-long push to expand local manufacturing and reduce Kenya’s reliance on imports. Devki Group—founded in 1986 by Raval and his wife as a small Nairobi shop—has grown into East and Central Africa’s largest producer of construction materials. Its subsidiaries, including Devki Steel Mills, National Cement, and Simba Cement, employ thousands and supply much of Kenya’s building sector.
Expansion in coastal Kenya
The Kenyan businessman has stepped up investments in Kenya’s coastal region in recent years. In 2022, Devki opened a $240-million steel factory in Kwale County with the capacity to produce 500,000 tonnes of steel annually. Two years later, in December 2024, the company launched a Ksh 11 billion ($85 million) iron ore plant in Manga, Voi, also in Taita Taveta.
But the projects have not been without hurdles. County officials have previously clashed with the national government, arguing that local leaders were not fully consulted on the allocation of 14,500 acres of land through a 45-year lease granted to Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society.
The latest prospecting bid signals Raval’s determination to push ahead despite the disputes. If successful, the project might help Kenya get closer to making its own steel, which is considered as very important for the growth of industry and infrastructure.
