More cement plants boon for building sector, say architects

Members of the AAK tour the Savanna Cement plant in Athi River on September 27, 2013. Photo/Ponciano Odongo 

In Summary

• Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) chairman Waweru Gathecha said new plants would increase competition and stabilise cement prices.

Architects have hailed the setting up of more cement plants in Kenya as a boost to the building and construction industry besides supporting economic growth.

Speaking at Savannah Cement plant in Athi River, Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) chairman Waweru Gathecha said the new plants would increase competition and stabilise cement prices.

“The more the cement firms the more the competition and advantage to the end users and all of us,” said Mr Gathecha who was accompanied by more than 50 members of the association on a factory tour.

Savannah Cement is the sixth and latest cement maker in Kenya.

Transferring technology

Mr Gathecha noted that the investors were creating many jobs in the country as well as transferring technology.

AAK is an umbrella body of architects, quantity surveyors, town planners, engineers, landscape architects, environmental design consultants and construction project managers.

New plants including Cemtech, the Indian cement firm majority-owned by the Sanghi Group, and another by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, are reported to be in the pipeline.

The professionals and consultants were visiting the plant for the first time since it opened last year.

The association called on cement makers to make quality products even as competition rises.

Quality control

“It takes time to polish quality and quantity in manufacturing. We ask investors to put in place quality control systems despite the huge competition in the country,” said Ben Okoth, AAK secretary engineers’ chapter.

Mr Okoth appealed to the government to find ways of addressing the high cost of energy and called on cement makers to embrace modern technology to save energy.

“Clinker is the main ingredient of cement but cannot be produced locally due to the high cost of energy…. It is much cheaper to import it yet it can be produced locally,” said Mr Gathecha.

The architects said they were confident that the government would invest more in roads and bridges across the country to boost cement consumption as it seeks to attain Vision 2030.