Bamburi Cement has called on the government and private sector to embrace low-carbon cement products in construction projects as Kenya steps up efforts to promote green industrialisation and sustainable infrastructure development.
The company says wider adoption of environmentally friendly cement could significantly reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry while supporting the country’s climate commitments.
Speaking during a Green Industrialisation and Manufacturing panel at the ongoing Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026, Bamburi Cement Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director Eng Jane Wangari said the manufacturer had already developed products designed to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.
Wangari urged the government to introduce public procurement policies that give higher scores to construction materials with lower carbon emissions, arguing that such measures would encourage the uptake of locally manufactured green products.
She also proposed the inclusion of low-carbon cement in the Central Bank of Kenya’s Green Finance Taxonomy to promote sustainable construction practices.
Wangari highlighted Bamburi DuraCem Cement, a locally manufactured product designed for large-scale and marine construction projects, as an example of how the industry can transition towards greener production.
The 42.5-grade cement is formulated to resist sulphates and chlorides, making it suitable for demanding construction environments.
According to the company, its manufacturing process incorporates alternative fuels, including rice husks and waste tyres, helping reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 64 per cent 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,” Wangari said.
She added that a 50-kilogramme bag of DuraCem saves approximately 25 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions compared to ordinary Portland cement.
“That is roughly 25 kg of carbon dioxide saved per bag, about the same as burning 10 litres of petrol,” she said.
The company cited the construction of Makupa Bridge in Mombasa as an example of how low-carbon cement can support major infrastructure projects.
Wangari said the project had saved more than 10 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide through the use of DuraCem, with the bridge also designed to withstand exposure to seawater.
Bamburi Cement is also advocating for the adoption of cement standards and verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to help consumers and construction stakeholders independently establish the environmental impact of building materials.
The company recently indicated that it was positioning itself to supply more than one million tonnes of cement for the project, including low-carbon DuraCem products.
Bamburi has also supplied cement and concrete solutions for several major national projects, including Talanta Sports Stadium, the Standard Gauge Railway, Rironi-Mau Summit Road, Dongo Kundu Highway, Mwache Dam and Thwake Dam.
The manufacturer is separately pursuing an expansion strategy aimed at increasing its production capacity to meet growing demand for construction materials.
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