Bamburi: Advocates Low-Carbon Cement Kenya Procurement Shift

• Bamburi Cement is urging Kenya to prioritize low-carbon cement in public infrastructure procurement.
• The company's Bamburi DuraCem product reportedly reduces CO2 emissions by 64% compared to standard cement.
• Bamburi advocates for including low-carbon cement in the Central Bank of Kenya's Green Finance Taxonomy to boost adoption.
• Wider use depends on new procurement policies, competitive pricing, and verified environmental performance.
• Bamburi is investing Sh32 billion in a new clinker plant to increase its production capacity to four million tonnes annually.

Lawyers advising clients in the Kenyan construction sector, particularly those involved in public infrastructure projects, will need to prepare for evolving procurement criteria that may prioritize or mandate low-carbon cement.

Bamburi Cement is actively promoting the use of low-carbon cement, specifically its Bamburi DuraCem product, within Kenya's public infrastructure sector. This initiative aims to boost demand for more sustainable building materials, aligning with the nation's broader green industrialisation agenda. The company's DuraCem is a 42.5-grade cement, manufactured locally, designed for large-scale and marine construction due to its resistance to sulphates and chlorides.

The production of Bamburi DuraCem incorporates alternative fuels, such as rice husks and waste tyres, a method that the company asserts reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 64% when compared to traditional ordinary Portland cement. Jane Wangari, Bamburi Cement's Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director, highlighted at the Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026 that this demonstrates the feasibility of green manufacturing. She emphasized that a single 50-kg bag of DuraCem contains approximately 64% less carbon dioxide than its conventional counterpart, citing the Makupa Bridge project in Mombasa as an example where its use reportedly prevented over 10 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.

Bamburi Cement is advocating for significant changes in public procurement specifications to incentivize the adoption of low-carbon cement in Kenya. The company proposes that suppliers offering cement with reduced carbon footprints should receive higher scores in government tenders, arguing that such demand could accelerate the transition towards more sustainable construction practices. Lawyers advising clients in the Kenyan construction sector, particularly those involved in public infrastructure projects, will need to prepare for evolving procurement criteria that may prioritize or mandate low-carbon cement.

Furthermore, Bamburi suggests that the Central Bank of Kenya's Green Finance Taxonomy should incorporate low-carbon cement. Such an inclusion, as noted by Ms. Wangari, would encourage greater uptake by both developers and financial institutions by potentially impacting green financing eligibility. Compliance officers in financial institutions should therefore monitor this development closely, as it could influence reporting requirements and the availability of green funding for construction projects. The wider adoption of these materials, however, hinges on the implementation of supportive procurement policies, competitive pricing, and manufacturers' ability to provide independently verified environmental performance data. To facilitate this, Bamburi is also championing the standardization of cement specifications and the widespread use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which would allow purchasers to objectively compare the carbon footprint of various construction materials.

In parallel with its advocacy efforts, Bamburi Cement is strategically positioning itself for substantial supply opportunities within Kenya's burgeoning infrastructure sector. The company is targeting the supply of over one million tonnes of cement for the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Lamu, which has recently broken ground. This ambition underscores the commercial imperative behind its push for low-carbon solutions.

To support its long-term growth and meet anticipated demand, Bamburi is making significant investments in its production capacity. This includes a Sh32 billion engineering, procurement, and construction contract awarded to China's Sinoma CBMI for a new clinker plant in Matuga, Kwale County. This facility is projected to have an annual clinker capacity of 1.6 million tonnes, forming a key part of Bamburi's broader strategy to increase its overall cement production capacity from 1.8 million tonnes to an impressive four million tonnes annually.

Lawyers advising clients in the Kenyan construction sector, especially those involved in public infrastructure projects, should anticipate and prepare for evolving procurement specifications that may prioritize or mandate low-carbon cement. Compliance officers in financial institutions should also monitor the potential inclusion of low-carbon cement in the Central Bank of Kenya's Green Finance Taxonomy, as this could impact green financing eligibility and reporting requirements for construction projects.

Source: Original reporting via Capital FM