Tanzania's Amsons Group launches Sh23.1b bid to acquire Bamburi cement

Business
By Brian Ngugi | Jul 11, 2024
Bamburi Cement trucks collect cement from a Silo storage facility in Industrial Area, Nairobi. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Tanzania's leading manufacturing and energy giant, Amsons Group, has issued a binding offer to acquire up to a 100 per cent stake in Kenya's Bamburi Cement PLC for a total sum of Sh23.1 billion.

Amsons, through its Kenyan subsidiary Amsons Industries (K) Ltd, has issued a notice of intention to launch a public takeover offer to acquire up to 100 per cent of Bamburi's shares at 65 Kenyan shillings per share.

"We have great plans to deepen our investment in Kenya and in Bamburi," said Amsons Group Managing Director Edha Nahdi in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.

"The proposed cross-border acquisition will further strengthen our position in the East African cement sector as part of our regional economic development and market integration strategy."

Amsons, a family-owned business founded in 2006, has diversified from its roots in bulk oil and petroleum products to become a manufacturing and energy conglomerate with over $1 billion in annual revenue. Its cement operations include a 6,000 metric tonnes/day facility and the recently acquired Mbeya Cement in Tanzania.

The acquisition of Bamburi would mark Amsons' formal entry into the Kenyan market, where the group plans to make further investments in the coming months, according to Nahdi.

Holcim, which currently owns a 65 per cent stake in Bamburi, said the deal "advances Holcim's strategy of extending our leadership in our core markets as the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions."

"With Amsons Group, we are pleased to have found a strategic and trusted partner best positioned to develop Bamburi Cement PLC's business in the long term," said Holcim's Regional Head of Asia, Middle East and Africa, Martin Kriegner in the statement.

The proposed $180 million acquisition would mark a significant milestone for Amsons as it seeks to invest in one of Kenya's iconic blue-chip companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).

Share this story
How regional project catalysed a concerted front against illegal fishing
For more than 25 years, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the South West Indian Ocean was largely treated as a technical fisheries issue.
Court again, declines to stop Sh204b Safaricom sale to Vodacom
The decision came after Safaricom's lawyer Mukite Musangi informed the court of two other similar petitions already filed in a separate court challenging the share sale.
Coffee market banks on online bidding to boost farmers' returns
The coffee market is undergoing a major shift as the Nairobi Coffee Exchange adopts online bidding as part of a new five-year strategy
Olympian Simader picked brand ambassador as smartphone brands fight for market share
The move underscores how brands are blending marketing narratives with technical improvements to defend their positions in a highly competitive market.)
Boost for importers, Treasury as shilling holds forex gains
The Shilling is expected to maintain its recent stability against the US dollar, boosted by strong foreign exchange reserves and improved access to external financing, analysts say.
.
RECOMMENDED NEWS