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Bamburi Cement Plc, a leading cement manufacturer now owned by Tanzanian businessman Edha Nahdi’s Amsons Group, has signed a $250 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a large-scale clinkerisation plant in Kenya’s coastal region, marking one of the country’s biggest industrial investments in recent years.
The Ksh32 billion ($250 million) deal, signed with China’s Sinoma CBMI Construction Co., comes nearly a year after Amsons Group completed its takeover of Bamburi Cement and signals a decisive push to deepen local manufacturing capacity, cut reliance on imports and position the company for Kenya’s next phase of infrastructure growth.
Boosting clinker self-sufficiency
Under the agreement, Bamburi will develop a 1.6 million-tonne-per-year clinker plant at Matuga in Kwale County. Once operational, the new facility will lift the company’s clinker output from about 1 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes annually, while cement production capacity will more than double to around 4 million tonnes from 1.8 million tonnes.
Bamburi says the investment, designed to secure long-term clinker self-sufficiency, a strategic priority for cement producers facing volatile import costs and foreign exchange pressures, will stabilise supply, improve production planning and enhance product quality for the domestic market.
The signing ceremony was attended by President William Ruto, Amsons Group Managing Director Edha Nahdi and Bamburi Cement Chairman John Simba, underscoring the project’s alignment with the government’s development agenda.
Sustainability and cutting-edge technology
“This investment puts us in a much stronger position to support Kenya’s long-term infrastructure needs while reducing dependence on imported clinker,” Bamburi Cement CEO Mohit Kapoor said at the event.
The Matuga clinker plant uses cutting-edge, energy-efficient technologies to reduce emissions as Bamburi will be using alternative fuels with a six-stage precalciner system.
The company claims that these actions support Kenya's efforts to increase domestic manufacturing under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and are in line with both international climate standards and its larger environmental strategy.
Amsons deepens regional footprint
Since its acquisition by Amsons Group, Bamburi has expanded its local operations, with Ready-Mix plants and precast facilities now in Nairobi and Mombasa.
For Amsons Group, the clinker plant is a cornerstone investment as it integrates Bamburi into its wider East African operations. Nahdi said the group is committed to backing Kenya’s industrialisation drive and strengthening regional supply chains through long-term capital deployment.
Sinoma CBMI, a subsidiary of China National Building Material Group, brings global experience in cement plant construction and operations, which Bamburi expects will ensure timely delivery and reliable performance.
