Uganda: Hima to open new plant

Hima Cement is set to invest US$40m in a new plant in Tororo with a view to raising its output to 1.8Mta. The company's CEO, Daniel Pettersson, said the decision was a step to address the rising demand in east Africa. Mr Pettersson said, “We are embarking on several projects, starting with the construction of a grinding station at the end of 2016.”

Hima is the second manufacturer to gain a presence in Tororo, following Tororo Cement’s lead. Tororo Cement is also set to expand its capacity from 1.9Mta to 3Mta.

Ugandan cement demand stood at 2.2Mta last year, compared to its total installed capacity 2.65Mta. Approximately 0.1Mta of cement is imported from Pakistan, UAE, China and Kenya, but current and planned local capacity is expected to be sufficient to meet demand for the next 10 years.