Kenya Turns to Indian SAIL to Create an Integrated Steel Company

Kenya has expressed interest in building an integrated steel mill through a joint venture with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) in East Africa.

The High Commissioner of India in Kenya approached the Chairman of SAIL explaining that the Kenyan government is looking forward to working with SAIL to set up an integrated steel company and build a steel mill in Kenya.

Until now, Kenya does not have an integrated steel plant and now intends to build a steel plant that will supply pig iron to the Steel Authority of India. The decision to set up a steel mill will come after exploration work at a large iron ore and coal deposit in Kitui province, 160 kilometers east of Nairobi.

Kitui Province is a bustling shopping area. The Commissioner asked the Chairman of SAIL to send several senior officials to visit the country and assess the potential of the future enterprise through SAIL. The Commissioner also approached Cairo with the same proposal.

SAIL has received similar offers from various countries. However, the decision to invest in a particular region depends on the existing conditions and resources, as the SAIL official explained. In 2011, SAIL put forward a plan to build four steel mills in Mongolia, South Africa, Oman and Indonesia for an investment of about $ 12 billion, but a final decision has not yet been made.