President William Ruto has accused some leaders of organising goons to block the construction of a cement factory in Nyeri County, warning against political interference in industrial investments.
Ruto said the opposition to the proposed factory threatened efforts to spread investment, create jobs and stimulate economic activity in different parts of the country.
Speaking on Tuesday during the groundbreaking of a cement plant in Ngaaie, Kitui County, the President accused some leaders of mobilising groups to disrupt the Nyeri project, even as he praised residents for resisting the opposition.
“We need investors to develop facilities in different parts of our country. DEVKI developed a facility in Eldoret which you saw here. That facility is now creating opportunities for work,” Ruto said.
He said the Eldoret facility had generated economic opportunities and created wealth in the surrounding region, arguing that similar investments were needed elsewhere to expand employment and economic activity.
A similar facility is planned for Nyeri, but Ruto said the project had encountered opposition from leaders he accused of using goons to stop its construction.
“Unfortunately, when the community was asked to come, some leaders organised goons to go and try and stop the factory. But I must congratulate the people of Nyeri. They stood up to the goons and they said no to negative politics,” he said.
The President also accused extortionists of attempting to frustrate the proposed investment, saying residents had rejected efforts to derail the project.
He called on residents of Ngaaie to protect the cement plant from what he described as negative politics, urging communities to support investments expected to expand economic opportunities in their regions.
“Extortionists and shylocks tried to stop the factory in Nyeri. The people stood up to them and told them off. The people of Kenya must protect. You, the people of Ngaaie, you must protect this investment from negative politics,” he said.
Ruto outlined the growth in Kenya's cement production, citing rising demand for construction materials as an opportunity to expand the country's industrial capacity.
According to figures he presented, cement production increased from 8.5 million tonnes in 2024 to 10.44 million tonnes in 2025, representing growth of close to 20 per cent.
Production continued to rise in the first eight months of this year, reaching 7.62 million tonnes, up from 6.6 million tonnes in the same period last year, an increase of close to 15 per cent.
Ruto said Kenya should move beyond supplying its domestic market and develop industries capable of competing across the region and the continent.
“Our ambition must extend beyond supplying the Kenyan market. We must build industries capable of winning business across East Africa and the continent,” he said.
He added that local factories would need to compete on product quality, pricing and reliability to succeed in regional and continental markets.
“A factory succeeds when its products compete on quality, on price, and on reliability,” Ruto said.
