Shadowy cartels run cement theft syndicate in Athi River

Authorities have uncovered production and distribution of substandard cement, sparking alarm over safety of Kenya’s construction sector.

The illegal trade in cement isn’t just a criminal enterprise—it’s a stark reminder of the systemic issues that plague the construction industry.

Following public complaints about cement quality and weight discrepancies, a multi-agency team, led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), conducted an operation in Athi River, Syokimau, and Kitengela.

The investigation exposed a web of illegal activities, including manufacturing and selling of substandard cement, siphoning cement from branded bags to create underweight products.

Other include adulterating genuine cement with pozzolanic dust to compromise quality, transporting and distributing substandard cement and producing counterfeit packaging bearing major cement brands.

During the operation, officers arrested 13 suspects and intercepted eight lorries carrying bags of cement that were being siphoned and repackaged to maximise profits.

Several stores full of counterfeit bags of cement bearing the labels and digital stamps of major cement brand in the country.

The officers discovered—an illegal operation siphoning cement from trucks and repackaging it as legitimate—has shocked the construction industry and laid bare the dangers of tampered building materials.

Each truck carries 220 bags of cement weighing 50 kilogrammes each.

According to one suspect, they siphon between six to eight kgs from each 50kgs.

At the heart of the illegal trade lies a desolate open ground near Astral Trading Centre. Here, young men work in assembly-line precision, stealing small quantities of cement from bags, only to refill them with ground soil to maintain weight.

Their tools? Sharpened pipes to pierce the bags and ten-liter jerrycans to collect the siphoned cement.

The bags some on its final stage of repackaging while somewhere on transit to customers who had made orders from the producers.

 One of the suspects arrested revealed the syndicate which intails a long process that goes behind the chilly area.

“We have a scale to ensure we don’t lose the exact weight of the load and we’re paid 500 shillings a day to do this,” confessed one suspect, a university dropout who joined the operation two years ago.

He explained how the soil is mixed to match the bag’s original weight before the bags are resealed and loaded onto waiting lorries.

The scene is almost surreal—a pool table sits nearby, where idle youth pass the time waiting for their next task.

Customers, both unsuspecting and complicit, come and go in a hive of activity that operates 24/7. “More trucks come at night. This makes it easier, to avoid detection,” he stated.

The operation came to light after a tip-off led Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) officials and police officers to the site.

This happens directly opposite the industries manufacturing the cement which the officers said they have no control of illegal trade.

“This is a big cartel that even the industry owners fear. They operate unabated because nobody dares to raise a voice of the business,” said one staff at the industry.

KEBS Director of Market Surveillance Peter Kaigwara described the elaborate setup that goes on in the presence of the public eyes.

“This illicit trade not only exploits unsuspecting consumers but also poses grave dangers to public safety. The safety of Kenyans cannot be compromised for profit,” he said.

The suspects, apprehended during Friday's crackdown, are set to be arraigned in court on Monday as investigations continue to uncover the full scope of the illegal activities.

“Upon inspection, we discovered counterfeit digital stamps on the bags, indicating the cement wasn’t of the promised quality by the manufacturer," said Kaigwara.

The joint security operation was carried out following a tip-off from their intelligence about the sale and distribution of fake cement within the trading centre.

Kaigwara said the arrested suspect were found packaging while other loading the cargo to the lorries before they were impounded truck.

“The adulterated cement does not only affect the quality of construction projects, but also poses a great risk to the safety of people using the buildings,” he said.

Kaigwara warned of the dangers posed by such adulterated materials.

"Such illegal activities by greedy businesspersons jeopardize the safety of Kenyans especially the millions who live in rental apartments, given the many tragic incidents of collapsed buildings,” said Kaigwara.

Kaigwara gave assurance saying the authorities are determined to dismantle the operation through other parts of the country to root out individuals involved in these dangerous practices.

“We’re intensifying efforts to eradicate such activities. Such operations are a testament to our commitment to protecting citizens from unscrupulous individuals. But we need the public’s support to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

 “Such operations are a clear indication of the government's commitment to protecting its citizens from unscrupulous individuals who engage in illegal activities.”

This comes a month after a building in Kahawa West in Kiambu county collapsed after it was earmarked for demolition.

“We have had cases of collapsing building in the country and laying blame squarely on engineers. Some of the root cause can now be linked to the tempering with the quality on building materials,” he said.

He urged consumers to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities involving construction materials to safeguard lives and property.

One woman who had unknowingly purchased the counterfeit cement shared her ordeal with police.

“I paid for 50-kilogram bags, but when I weighed them at home, they were only 46 kilograms,” she said.

Her complaint led officers to track the delivery truck, which was impounded with additional evidence of the fraudulent scheme, including empty branded bags.

Workers at nearby cement factories said they are powerless to act.

“This is a big cartel. Even the industry owners fear them. They operate openly because no one dares to speak out,” one factory employee revealed, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Despite the arrests of several drivers and handymen, the masterminds behind the operation remain at large.

The owners of the yard were notably absent during the raid, and some truck drivers fled upon spotting law enforcement.