Ganatra Plant and Equipment MD Altaf Ganatra, East Africa JCB business lead Rupesh Nagar and Ganatra’s sales manager Suhhel Yakub./SCREENGRAB
Kenya’s growing infrastructure and mining sectors have received a boost with the launch of a new heavy-duty excavator designed for large-scale earthmoving and quarry work.
Ganatra Plant & Equipment Limited, the authorised dealer of JCB machinery in Kenya and Uganda, has introduced the JCB 345 LC, a 34-tonne excavator built for demanding construction environments.
The machine is capable of digging to depths of 6.6 metres and handling hard rock excavation in mining and quarry operations.
The excavator is now available at Ganatra’s Nairobi showroom on Baba Dogo Road, with another unit stationed in Kampala to serve the Ugandan market.
The launch comes at a time when Kenya and Uganda are witnessing increased investment in infrastructure development.
Major road projects, dams, urban expansion, and mining activities across the region have pushed up demand for heavy construction equipment with higher efficiency and capacity.
Ganatra, managing director of Altaf Ganatra, said the excavator was developed to meet the needs of large infrastructure and mining projects currently underway in the region.
“The JCB 345 LC is the right machine for the scale of projects Kenya and Uganda are undertaking right now. We are proud to make it available to our customers,” he said.
Ganatra noted that sectors such as quarrying, mining, dam construction, and mass excavation are driving demand for larger, more productive equipment.
“We have many quarries operating in Kenya and increasing mining activity. This machine is ideal for those sectors,” he said.
He added that the company is planning to introduce even larger machines in the coming years, including a 50-tonne excavator currently under development.
At the core of the JCB 345 LC is a 7.2-litre DIESELMAX engine that produces 221 horsepower and 960 Nm of torque.
According to the company, the engine has been fully developed by JCB, allowing for simplified servicing and improved availability of spare parts across Ganatra’s regional support network.
The excavator also features variable-flow hydraulic pumps designed to improve operating efficiency while lowering fuel consumption.
The company says this will help contractors working in remote areas and on fuel-sensitive projects reduce operational costs.
Industry players expect demand for heavy earthmoving equipment to continue rising as governments and private investors expand infrastructure and mining projects across East Africa.
Ganatra says the introduction of the JCB 345 LC is aimed at helping contractors meet those growing demands with more efficient and durable machinery.
