In a powerful show of regional economic integration, 37-year-old Tanzanian billionaire Edha Nahdi, CEO of the Amson Group, has sealed talks with Kenyan President William Ruto to inject a staggering USD 380 million (approximately 960 billion Tanzanian shillings) into the second phase expansion of Bamburi Cement.

The high-level discussions took place at State House, Nairobi, and mark a defining moment in East African private sector cooperation. 

The move comes shortly after Nahdi’s bold USD 182 million (around 500 billion Tanzanian shillings) acquisition of Bamburi Cement already hailed as the largest investment ever made by a Tanzanian entrepreneur beyond national borders.

This historic acquisition surpasses even the high-profile investment by fellow Tanzanian mogul Rostam Aziz, who committed USD 130 million into Kenya through Taifa Gas. Nahdi’s venture, therefore, redefines regional investment benchmarks and repositions the Amson Group at the forefront of East Africa’s industrial transformation.

Analysts view the deal as the most significant private cross-border investment since the collapse of the original East African Community in 1977, underlining a growing momentum toward deeper economic ties within the bloc.

With operations already spanning Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, DRC, and Burundi, Amson Group’s expansion into Kenya, and soon Uganda, puts it on track to become East Africa’s largest cement producer.

In March 2024, Bamburi Cement divested 70% of its Ugandan subsidiary, Hima Cement, to Sarrai Group and Rwimi Holdings for USD 84 million (about 214 billion Tanzanian shillings) a move that Amson is closely watching with interest as it eyes further expansion into Uganda’s cement market.

As Edha Nahdi cements his legacy as one of Africa’s youngest and most visionary industrialists, the Amson Group’s cross-border ambition stands as a bold testament to what homegrown East African enterprise can achieve on the continental stage.