Reports from Neighbouring Tanzania indicate that Cement manufacturers are currently involved in maintenance activities, meaning there is zero production going on.
Rwanda cement importers have been cited swammed at various depots trying to secure deals for the remaining cement stocks as they last.
Trade and Industry Ministry in Tanzania also is concerned about the high cement prices saying that 50kg bag of cement which retailed for Tsh15,000 ($6) in October has risen by 30 percent to Tsh22,000 ($9) in parts of the country.
“Some cement manufacturing industries had stopped production for a short term programme, which then paved the way for thorough maintenance of machines, and this led to stopping production for a while,” said Permanent Secretary Dr Riziki Shemdoe.
Dr Riziki said this situation has affected supply, which dropped to 150,000 tonnes for October, compared with 450,000 tonnes supplied to the market in the past two previous months.
Tanzania has four main cement manufacturers; Twiga Cement based in Dar es Salaam, Tanga Cement in Tanga, Mbeya Cement in Mbeya and Dangote Cement located in Mtwara in Southern region.
Twiga is the leading cement manufacturer with a capacity of 700,000 tonnes annually- it is sagging under the demand, and this week its depot at Wazo Hill on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam was swamped by importers from neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi, which largely depend on Tanzanian cement.
So far, Rwandan cement importers have turned their search into the Kenyan market and so far Bamburi cement product is replacing Tananzian brands that have been enjoying the Rwandan market since March 2019 since Rwanda and Uganda fell out and closed the border.