Mauritian company Seruji has acquired a 60 per cent stake in Athi River-based Savannah Cement following approval from the Competition Authority of Kenya (CA). Seruji completed the buyout from China?s Wan Ho International, which held 40 per cent and Acme Wanji, which owned 20 per cent. Savannah Heights has retained a minority stake in Savannah Cement. The shareholding shake-up makes Savannah Cement Kenya?s first fully-owned cement producer, as both Seruji and Savannah are owned by Savannah Cement founder Benson Ndeta.
The buyout comes ahead of a planned $250m clinker plant project in Athi River by Savannah Cement, which aims to reduce its operating costs by eliminating clinker imports. Cement demand has risen steeply over the past two years in tandem with a host of several large projects in both the public and private sectors. The $1.88 billion Lamu coal power plant and the $3.23 billion standard gauge railway are among the projects that have increased domestic cement demand.