Kenya: National Cement Company has received a US$70.2m loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The loan will be used to fund its cement production expansion programme. With the help of the loan, National Cement Company can bolster cement production five-fold to 1.7Mt/yr by 2016 at a cost of US$200m. National Cement Company's CEO Narendra Raval stated that the company aims to close the Kenya's 6Mt/yr cement production gap to stabilise cement prices.
Raval stated that the company's five-fold increase in cement production would see a significant reduction in cement prices in Kenya, where increasing prices have been driving up the cost of construction. However, the entrance of new cement companies in the local market has seen an increase in competition and a gradual reduction in the volume of imported cement.