Gujarati 'Guru' poised to become the cement king of East Africa

Ahmedabad: Kenya-based National Cement Company Limited recently acquired Athi River Mining (ARM) Cement for $50 million or Rs 360 crore. With ARM Cement — once the second largest cement company in that country — in its kitty, National Cement has emerged as the largest cement maker in East Africa, with a capacity to produce 3 million tonnes per annum.

National Cement belongs to the $1 billion Devki group founded and promoted by Gujarati entrepreneur, Narendra Raval. Fondly knownas ‘Guru’, Raval is one of Kenya’s most successful entrepreneurs and features among the 50 richest persons in Africa.

The diversified business conglomerate currently has interests in steel, roofing sheets, cement and aviation services sectors.

Hailing from a tiny town called Maathak in Surendranagar, Raval migrated to Kenya four decades ago and began working as an assistant priest at the Swaminarayan temple in Kisumu.

Like many first-generation businessmen, Raval’s entrepreneurial journey is also full of hardships. He worked at a hardware shop in Nairobi before setting up his own shop in the early 1990s.

“It was very difficult initially. I am a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi and truth is my strength,” Raval told TOI from Kenya.

Raval dabbled first into roofing, and later forayed into the steel re-rolling business. Currently, the group has cement facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The steel-to-cement tycoon is also known as an expert palmist and astrologer sought by Kenyan presidents and heads of other African nations.

He also acted as a political adviser to some presidents in Kenya, according Raval’s biography titled “Guru - A Long Walk To Success”.

“While Kenya is my ‘Karma Bhoomi’, India is my ‘Matru Bhoomi’. I do not have any business in India,” Raval said. “As advised by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during our meetings, I always support India when it comes to imports, and also source manpower from India,” he added.

Raval is a philanthropist and believes in giving back to the society. “50% of my earnings go towards supporting initiatives in education, food security and healthcare,” he said.

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed Raval as the chancellor of Egerton University, which is the oldest and largest public university in Kenya having 27,000 students.