DEVKI Group, the producer of National Cement Company Uganda Limited says that it’s investing in a new 1.5 million tonnes per annum and 60 million dollars plant to take it’s national cement’s Uganda capacity to 3.5 million tonnes of cement by 2025.
PML Daily reports that the new plant being located in Mbarara District, will be operational by the end of 2024.
Speaking about this new phase of growth, the CEO/Operations Lokesh Kumar said that the Mbarara plant is a major milestone in the company’s objective to serve its clients in Uganda and East Africa, by making access to cement products very affordable.
The new plant follows the 2m tons per annum capacity plant located in Tororo.
Following the new 6000 tons -per-day clinker plant that will be commissioned by National Cement in West Pokot Kenya in December this year, National Cement will be able to produce cement and supply its customers at very affordable prices.
In August 2018 President Yower Museveni opened the Tororo grinding plant of Simba Cement with 1Mta capacity, directly employing 300 staff.
The Tororo plant has already contributed to a country-wide drop in prices. It will further improve accessibility and affordability to cement across the country, especially in Western Uganda and DRC.
National Cement hopes to drop prices by 25% at the very least by 2025.
■ File photo: In August 2018 President Yoweri Museveni opened the Tororo grinding plant of Simba Cement with 1Mta capacity.
“We are committed to our long-term vision, which through such projects, we bring down cement prices, contribute to the growth of the economy, create more jobs and drive opportunities through the construction industry, ” Kumar added.
He said that the opening of this plant was in line with the idea of H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda on industrialization, job creation, and import substitution.
The plant is expected to employ 700 people directly, and indirectly.
The high cost of cement continues to impede millions of Ugandans and East African households and businesses from building homes and operational premises of their dreams.
Groundbreaking for the plant is scheduled for early 2024, with plans to start production the same year.