On behalf of the Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, the State Department of Industry PS Juma Mukhwana on Tuesday, April 11 appeared before the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry & Cooperatives over the government's land tussle with squatters.
Mukhwana asked the committee to help recover land occupied by squatters at the East African Portland Cement (EAPC) located in Athi River.
The PS urged the committee to intervene and hasten the process as a section of the land was up for sale to enable the company to explore other opportunities including the production of limestone.
Mukhwana also lamented the numerous court cases filed by the squatters that hinder the development of the land.
"We ask for the Trade Committee's protection and intervention to assist EAPC Ltd to conclude the court cases lodged by the squatters," he pleaded.
On the other hand, EAPC Managing Director Oliver Kiribati told the committee that the company had settled debts that were owed to the financial lending institutions and it was indebted to the GOK, KRA, and JAICA.
"To guarantee profitability, the company intends to conclude the remaining phases of the plant refurbishment. We ask the committee to help us get working capital and repay pending debt," Kiribati added.
On his part, the committee chairperson James Mwangi Gakuya requested for strategies to be put in place by the company to ensure its revival as well as deal with the crippling debt.
He emphasised that the company should be stabilised to avoid a replica of low profits in 2022 where the company recorded a 71.3 per cent drop by June 2022.
The chairperson, however, assured EAPC Ltd that the committee will not allow it to incur more losses or be subsumed by the debts.
"We will not allow EAPC Ltd to go on its knees, the committee will schedule meetings with the National Lands Commission, Kenya Railways Corporation, NSSF, and the National Treasury in an effort to address wholesomely the issues that EAPC Ltd is currently grappling with," he affirmed.
The committee learned of the deplorable state of the government-owned cement company after a tour on Tuesday, April 4.
