East African Cement Co looks to DR Congo for increased cement sales

East African Portland Cement Co (EAPCC) is looking to target cement sales in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“In the past 10 years, EAPCC has been missing from the infrastructural agenda due to competition among other challenges. Now we have come up with a five year strategic plan as we want to revamp our operations,” said Oliver M Kirubai, managing director at the EAPCC.

“We are targeting the East African market, including the DRC. We are getting inquiries from Rwanda as well.”

All the EA countries have infrastructure projects lined up. “Uganda and Tanzania want to do roads and the Standard Gauge Railway. In Kenya, the growth in cement production and consumption is attributed to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Agenda Four pillars including housing and manufacturing sectors,” said Mr Kirubai.

Kenyan cement firms are expanding their total clinker production capacity by 70 per cent to 10.7Mta by 2023 from the current 6.3Mta as part of their strategy to expand in the EAC region. East Africa's installed cement capacity is currently estimated at 15.6Mta, of which 8.6Mta in Kenya according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

Some of the extra capacity could supply the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is set to join the EAC regional bloc this year, is a country in need of infrastructure development.

Last week, the DRC Deputy President and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala said one of the things they want to do is surface infrastructure.