Nairobi — Bamburi Cement is pushing for the adoption of low-carbon cement in public infrastructure projects, seeking to expand demand for environmentally friendly building materials as Kenya advances its green industrialisation agenda.
The cement manufacturer wants public procurement specifications to award higher scores to suppliers offering cement with lower carbon emissions, arguing that government-backed demand could accelerate the shift towards sustainable construction.
Speaking at the Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026, Bamburi Cement Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director Jane Wangari said incorporating low-carbon cement into the Central Bank of Kenya's Green Finance Taxonomy would also encourage uptake by developers and financial institutions.
Wangari said the company had developed Bamburi DuraCem, a locally manufactured 42.5-grade cement designed for large-scale and marine construction, with resistance to sulphates and chlorides.
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The product uses alternative fuels, including rice husks and waste tyres, during manufacturing, a process the company says reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 64 percent compared with 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," Wangari said.
She added that wider adoption could deliver significant environmental savings across the construction industry.
"We have proved that green manufacturing can be done, as one 50-kg bag of Bamburi DuraCem carries about 64 percent less carbon dioxide than ordinary Portland cement."
The company cited the Makupa Bridge in Mombasa as an example of the potential benefits, claiming the project saved more than 10 million kilograms of carbon dioxide through the use of DuraCem.
However, wider adoption will depend on procurement policies, competitive pricing and the ability of manufacturers to demonstrate independently verified environmental performance.
Bamburi is also advocating for standardized cement specifications and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to enable buyers to compare the carbon footprint of construction materials.
The push comes as the manufacturer positions itself for major infrastructure supply opportunities, including the proposed Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Lamu, where it is targeting supply of more than one million tonnes of cement.
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The company is simultaneously investing in production capacity through a Sh32 billion engineering, procurement and construction contract with China's Sinoma CBMI for a clinker plant in Matuga, Kwale County.
The proposed facility will have an annual clinker capacity of 1.6 million tonnes, supporting Bamburi's plan to increase cement production capacity from 1.8 million to four million tonnes annually.
