Devki opens Sh7bn roofing sheets plant

Devki Group Wednesday opened a Sh7 billion factory in Ruiru, Kiambu County that will be producing 300,000 tonnes of iron sheets every year.

The new plant, under the group’s affiliate, Maisha Mabati Mills Ltd, is the biggest in Africa.

It produces roofing sheets coated with aluminium and zinc, giving them longer life using technology borrowed from Japan, USA, Australia and India.

Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed, while inaugurating the mill, said the new venture had a capacity to more than double the country’s current annual production of 250,000 tonnes.

“This mill, which is the largest and most advanced technologically, will go a long way in meeting the country’s demand and ensure quality,” said Mr Mohamed.

The CS also said the government had intensified the war on counterfeits and would soon hire specially trained police officers for raids and prosecute offenders.

ILLEGIMATE

“We want to ensure that investors who create jobs are protected from illegitimate businesses. We are also telling those who are bringing in counterfeits that their days are numbered,” he said and added that initially, 50 to 100 anti-counterfeit officers will be hired within three weeks.

Mr Mohamed asked county governments to reduce levies imposed on manufacturers as a way of attracting more investments.

He said Kiambu County alone had, in the recent past, attracted about Sh30 billion worth of investments.

“We should tap the East African market which has a population of 150 million or even the Comesa area with 400 million inhabitants,” said Mr Mohamed.

Devki Group Chairman Narendra Raval Guru had asked the ministry to act on illegal and cheap imports from China, which he said were crippling the local steel industry.

“The sector is facing an influx of cheap sub-standard products mainly of Chinese origin and the government must act to protect the industry from these counterfeits,” said Mr Guru.