A version of this article appeared on Business Daily.
Three deep-pocketed tycoons are committing at least Sh133 billion to acquisitions and new manufacturing facilities across East Africa. Narendra Raval, Sarbjit Singh Rai, and Edha Nahdi are driving the multi-billion-shilling expansion into cement and clinker production across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Narendra Raval of Devki Group has directed capital toward major manufacturing installations, including a Sh45 billion clinker plant in West Pokot County.
Through National Cement Company (NCC), operating under the Simba Cement brand, Raval previously acquired assets of the collapsed Athi River Mining Cement (ARM) for Sh5 billion. He has also expanded abroad by securing a 99.94 percent buyout of Cimerwa Plc in Rwanda for Sh13 billion.
Sarbjit Singh Rai, through Sarrai Group, maintains control of Rai Cement in western Kenya alongside operational interests in Uganda and Rwanda. His group broadened its regional footprint by purchasing Hima Cement in Uganda from Holcim in a transaction valued at $120 million.
Rai has also proposed a new Sh2 billion cement manufacturing facility at Lusoi Village in Nyeri County to expand operations into central Kenya.
Edha Nahdi, managing director of Tanzania-based Amsons Group, has executed aggressive cross-border acquisitions and greenfield developments.
Amsons Group acquired Holcim's 65 percent stake in Mbeya Cement in Tanzania before securing control of Bamburi Cement in Kenya. Under Bamburi Cement, the company plans to construct a Sh32 billion clinker facility in Matuga, Kwale County, designed to produce 1.6 million tonnes of clinker annually.
Amsons Group has committed Sh25.8 billion through its subsidiary, Kalahari Cement, to modernize East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC). The investment aims to raise annual production capacity from 1.3 million tonnes to nearly four million tonnes.
The strategic pivot toward integrated clinker production reflects local policy incentives and heavy import tariffs designed to reduce reliance on imported raw materials. Clinker serves as the essential input for manufacturing Portland cement, making raw material security vital for regional supply chains.
The synchronized capital investments mark a shift from multinational dominance toward consolidation by regional private entities. Industry players are moving rapidly to lock down key manufacturing sites, raw material deposits, and market access across the regional trade block.
The investments position local manufacturers to meet growing demand from major public infrastructure projects and commercial real estate developments.
These regional industrialists are expanding domestic operations while positioning themselves against larger foreign producers entering sub-Saharan Africa. The massive infrastructure spending across four partner states underpins long-term demand for structural inputs, encouraging sustained capital deployment into heavy industry.