West Pokot cement factory in Kenya

The West Pokot cement factory is an industrial project which was to be built at a 650-acre site in West Pokot County, Kenya. The previous developer, Cemtech Shanghai Company, was issued a license to build the plant in 2018.

However, Cemtech was unable to move forward with the West Pokot cement factory after several failed attempts. Therefore, the company decided to sell the project off to Simba Cement, a subsidiary of Devki Group.

Simba Cement took over the West Pokot cement factory in 2020 and construction finally started after over a decade of delays. The developer is now nearing the final stages of the project and expects the cement factory to open this July.

The West Pokot cement factory will produce 2.5 million tonnes of clinker, a key raw material needed for cement production. The new cement plant will be the second largest of its kind in the country.

Reported in Feb 2015

Kenya: CEMTECH to set up a new cement factory in Pokot

A US$ 131m cement factory is set to be constructed in Ortum, Pokot after delaying for five years. Cemtech chief executive Rajesh Rawal has said that the company will also generate its own power at the site, 64mw, out of which 50mw will be sold for the national grid.

The Greenfield cement plant project will be located 83 Km NE of Kitale town and 180 Km north of Eldoret town and an 11 KV power line is passes through the site. All the government agencies have approved the project, and according to Rawal, machines are being assembled outside the country. The cement factory will produce 1.2 million tons of cement per year.

CEMTECH which is a subsidiary of the Sanghi Group of India is in charge of the Green Field cement factory project has said power generation will help cut down costs as well as increase power supply for the locals.

“The power generated will enable us to operate effectively and minimize our costs of operations apart from supplying more electricity to the national power grid,” said Cemtech chief executive Rajesh Rawal.

CEMTECH will also use the 650 acres granted by Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVD) in setting up a residential colony in addition to the Greenfield cement factory and power plant. The developments will help in the mining of the limestone deposit in the Sebit – Chepchoi and Ortum areas.

Reported in Sep 2015

Major cement plant in Kenya to be constructed

Cemtech Limited is set to commence in January the construction of a US$ 95m cement plant in Kenya in West Pokot County.

The feasibility study for the project which was commissioned in 2010 by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) shows that the area has large limestone deposits with the possibility of producing 1.2 million tons of cement annually.

Cemtech’s General Manager, Diptish Nandha confirmed the news and said that they have finalized the logistics that had initially led to the delay of the commencement for the past five years.

“We have successfully solved the major two problems; one was the quality of limestone content which our experts have successfully managed to solve so we can now produce quality limestone. Our engineers have also managed to solve issues concerning the location and access to the plant,” said Mr. Nandha.

The cement plant in Kenya which will be on a 650-acre piece of land is expected to entail the construction of a 64MW power plant to be sold to the national grid, a friendly cement factory, staff houses, schools, a medical center, and other amenities.

In Kenya, cement factories are currently enjoying increased demand because of major projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway, the construction of major shopping malls across the country, and the growing real estate business.

CEMTECH Limited is a Kenya-based Cement Company registered to set up a Green field cement plant in the Pokot District of Western Kenya. They plan to supply cement production from this plant to the domestic market of western and central Kenya as well as the export market of Uganda and Sudan.

Reported in 2019

Construction of cement plant in West Pokot county, Kenya delayed

Construction of a cement plant in West Pokot County has been delayed due to logistical headwinds. This is after a new investor came on board to implement the project that has been on the cards for the last 10 years.

The new investor Simba Cement which acquired Cemtech Company says it needs one year to enable them to prepare well enough before it starts constructing the factory at the limestone-rich Ortum location.

The company will also carry out public participation and hold consultative forums with residents and leaders of the area; this is after the company received its approval license to construct the factory.

According to Mr. John Munyes, Mining, and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, construction of the factory will take approximately 18 months. Mr. Munyes was accompanied by Simba Cement Managing Director Narendra Raval.

Some of the areas Simba Cement has been given rights to operate include Chepkol, Iyon, Puseli, Sebiit, Marich, and Ortun. Originally Cemtech company was issued with the license to construct the plant on the 650 acres of freehold land 10 years ago for US $1.2m.

The project’s economic impact on the county

On his side, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo said the investment is a huge boost to the economy of the county and the region at large as it will create job opportunities and boost business activities in the area. Governor Lonyangapuo assured his constituents that their land will not be sold out for mining activities but rather will be leased to supply raw materials to sustain the operations of the cement factory.

“By giving out the license, this does not amount to selling the land but leasing it purposely for mining minerals within the Ortum belt,” said the governor adding that the investment will help reduce poverty levels in the county.