Major cement manufacturing factories operations may be paralysed soon following the closing of all the mines for raw materials for the manufacture of their products by locals in Kajiado County. Those affected by the decision to shut down all the mines, made by Maasai leaders are the East African Portland Cement Company, Bamburi Cement Company, Simba Cement, Mombasa Cement and Rhino Cement. All the companies are based in Athi River in Machakos County. Leaders from the larger Kajiado County yesterday met under their spokesman, Councillor Jeremiah Parkeina and advised the local cement companies to keep off Maasai land until further notice.

The companies said 90 per cent of raw materials, such as gypsum, kunkur, limestones and pozzollana come from Kajiado County and that as soon as they exhaust their reserves, the industry may collapse if the government will not step in and rectify the situation that has ran out of hand. Parkeina said the decision to close down all the major mining areas is because the government had refused to listen to the local community on matters development.

The civic leader, who is also the Vice Chairman of Olkejuado County Council, while addressing a meeting held at Ngurunga area of the county said he was selected to convey their demands to the government which include a round-table talk with all the cement manufacturing cement firms in Athi River and the government of Kenya representative at a time they are yet to fix. The leader claimed the government had taken them for a ride for too long.