Bamburi Cement pushes low-carbon products to drive green industrialisation
The Mt Kenya Times 
Bamburi Cement Plc Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director Eng Jane Wangari stresses a point (right), flanked by Kenya Green Building Society CEO Ms Nasra Nanda (centre) and the Industrialisation Secretary, at the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Prof Erastus Gatebe (left) at the Green Industrialisation and Manufacturing Panel session at the ongoing Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026. Photo/Courtesy
By James Murimi
Bamburi Cement Plc has called on public and private sector players to embrace low-carbon cement products in construction projects, saying wider adoption of environmentally friendly building materials will accelerate Kenya’s green industrialisation and sustainable manufacturing agenda.
Speaking during a Green Industrialisation and Manufacturing Panel session at the ongoing Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026, officially opened by President William Ruto yesterday, the company’s Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director, Eng. Jane Wangari, said Bamburi had developed innovative cement products designed to reduce carbon emissions while meeting the demands of major infrastructure projects.
Eng. Wangari said government procurement policies could play a significant role in accelerating the transition by awarding higher scores to construction bids that incorporate cement products with lower carbon emissions.
She also proposed the inclusion of low-carbon cement in the Central Bank of Kenya Green Finance Taxonomy to encourage financial institutions, investors and construction industry players to support environmentally sustainable building practices.
She disclosed that Bamburi Cement had formulated and introduced Bamburi DuraCem Cement, an eco-friendly, sulphate- and chloride-resistant 42.5-grade cement manufactured locally for large-scale and marine construction projects.
According to Eng. Wangari, DuraCem’s manufacturing process incorporates alternative fuels, including rice husks and waste tyres, helping deliver a product with 64 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to ordinary Portland cement.
“As cement manufacturers, we are actively playing our net-zero part to facilitate green manufacturing, affirming that it is no longer a pipe dream to deliver products with lower carbon dioxide emissions,” she said.
She noted that a 50-kilogramme bag of DuraCem carries approximately 64 per cent less carbon dioxide than ordinary Portland cement, translating into savings of about 25 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide per bag.
She likened the environmental benefit to avoiding the emissions generated by burning approximately 10 litres of petrol.
Eng. Wangari said widespread adoption of low-carbon cement in both public and private construction projects would generate significant cumulative environmental benefits while transforming the country’s industrial and manufacturing landscape.
Citing the Makupa Bridge project in Mombasa as an example, she said the use of DuraCem had helped save more than 10 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide in the construction of the bridge, which was also designed to withstand exposure to seawater.
Bamburi Cement is also advocating for the adoption of appropriate cement standards and independently verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to ensure that manufacturers’ claims about reduced carbon emissions are measurable and transparent.
Eng. Wangari said such declarations would enable consumers, contractors and policymakers to establish the actual environmental footprint of construction materials, making low-carbon performance verifiable rather than merely a marketing claim.
Bamburi eyes major Lamu refinery supply contract
The company’s sustainability drive comes as it positions itself to supply substantial quantities of cement and concrete products for the proposed Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Lamu County.
Last month, Bamburi Cement confirmed that it was well positioned to deliver more than one million tonnes of cement for the major industrial project.
The company is pursuing a commercial opportunity to supply quality cement and concrete products throughout the project’s development cycle, including its low-carbon DuraCem brand.
With assurances that the project will prioritise locally manufactured products, Bamburi intends to explore supplying its locally produced, sulphate- and chloride-resistant 42.5-grade cement, particularly for large-scale and marine construction works.
The cement manufacturer has previously supplied products and construction solutions to several major national infrastructure projects, including Talanta Sports Stadium, the Rironi-Mau Summit Road, the Standard Gauge Railway, Dongo Kundu Highway, Mwache Dam, Thwake Dam and Makupa Bridge.
Sh2 billion? Bamburi invests in expanded clinker production
As a member of the Amsons Group, Bamburi Cement is pursuing long-term clinker self-sufficiency, increased manufacturing capacity and improved ability to meet Kenya’s growing infrastructure and construction demands.
Late last year, the company signed a US$250 million (approximately Sh32 billion) Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Sinoma CBMI Construction Co. Ltd for the development of a turnkey clinkerisation factory in Matuga, Kwale County.
The proposed state-of-the-art facility will have an annual clinker production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes and incorporate advanced technologies designed to minimise environmental impact and support carbon-neutral manufacturing ambitions.
The investment forms part of Bamburi’s strategy to more than double its production capacity for clinker, a key raw material in cement manufacturing, and ultimately expand its supply of quality cement and concrete products.
Upon completion, the company’s clinker production capacity is expected to increase from the current one million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes annually, while cement production capacity will rise from 1.8 million tonnes to four million tonnes.
The expansion is expected to strengthen Bamburi’s capacity to serve major infrastructure developments, support local manufacturing and contribute to Kenya’s broader industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
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