National Cement to open new $60m plant in Mbarara
National Cement Limited is set to open a second cement plant in Mbarara District.
The new 1.5m tonnes per annum and $60 million plant will now take National Cement’s Uganda capacity to 2.7 million tonnes of cement.
The announcement was made by the DEVKI group, the founders of National Cement.
Slated to be operational by the end of 2024, 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 two milliom tons per annum capacity plant located in Tororo.
Following the new 6000ton 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 it’s customers at very affordable prices.
The National Cement Tororo plant has already 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.
Speaking about this new phase of growth, the CEO/Operations Lokesh Kumar said; “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 that opening of this plant was in line with President Museveni’s idea 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.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the plant is scheduled for early 2024, with plans to start production the same year.