Another Billionaire Lands in Kenya to Start a Cement Factory in Kitui Days After Dangote’s Arrival

resident William Ruto has said the government has found a new investor for a KSh33 billion cement factory in Kitui County.

He said the investor was already in place. Ruto added that he would travel to Kitui in November to break ground for the plant.

The President spoke on the night of Thursday, October 1, 2026, during a media engagement in Mombasa.

“The investor is already around, and I will be soon visiting Kitui, probably next month, to break ground for the factory, which will cost Ksh33 billion,” he said. He did not name the investor.

The project comes years after Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote dropped a similar plan for the county.

Ruto said Dangote had approached the Kenyan government to set up a multi-billion-shilling cement factory in Kitui but was frustrated.

He recalled taking Dangote to State House, as Deputy President, to meet former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to Ruto, the businessman still abandoned the plan and invested in Tanzania instead.

“Dangote could have done the work seven years ago, but unfortunately he was frustrated so he chose to invest in Tanzania,” he said.

The President said the factory could have been operating much earlier had Dangote been allowed to proceed.

Ruto said his administration was working to protect investors from unnecessary demands while safeguarding Kenyans’ access to jobs and other opportunities.

He said investors had long been put off by demands for shares and bribes.

The President also defended the planned KSh2 trillion East African oil refinery in Lamu.

He said no residents would be evicted because the land was government-owned.

Ruto added that any claims by residents would be handled by the government rather than the investor.

Source; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FDWu26nat/

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