Mijengo Imesimamishwa! Cement And Steel Prices Double

Cement And Steel Prices Double, Some Hardware Report Shortage

Cement manufacturers cited the increased cost of raw materials and high taxation as the reasons for the skyrocketing prices.

“We have been forced to increase our prices because of high taxation, the cost of electricity is high, the fuel price is high, and importation of raw materials like concrete admixtures has also risen,” Daily Nation quoted a representative of the Kenya Federation of Master Builders.

The representative noted Kenyan manufacturers were struggling to compete with cheaper counterfeit cement being sold in towns.

New cement prices in Kenya In the North Rift region, for instance, a 50kg bag of cement is retailing at KSh 1,000 in some stores up from KSh 550 a few weeks ago. In Nairobi, the price for the same bag ranges from KSh 680 to KSh 750 depending on the brand.

Mijengo Imesimamishwa! Cement And Steel Prices Double

Cement out of stock Hardware in some parts of Kenya have gone out of stock with buyers forced to wait.

“We currently do not have cement in stock but we are expecting to get it in the afternoon. Kindly check with us around 2pm,’ a seller in Kawangware said.

Steel prices have also shot up with D8 bars now retailing at KSh 780 up from KSh 450 in January.

D10 bars are being sold at KSh 1,150 up from KSh 600 while D12 costs have doubled from KSh 900 to KSh 1,650 forcing builders to suspend ongoing construction.