Page 29 - Engineering in Kenya Mag

TONONOKA GROUP:
Iron and Steel Manufacturing Sholds the key to BIG 4 AGENDA
TEEL is the backbone of the The company also has a state-of- of unfair competition between one economic activity of any the-art BRC mesh machine and new manufacturer and another. Instead, country. In Kenya, the iron and slotting machine that has made it engineers should be on the forefront steel industry forms about 13 easy for steel consumers to access in educating the masses on how to
percent of the manufacturing sector, all the sizes they require when it tell bad steel so as to bring sanity in
which in turn contributes significantly to the GDP. As the country embarks on the development projects as part of the implementation of Vision 2030 and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 agenda, the demand and consumption of steel products is already high and is set to increase even further.
The projects include Lamu port development, railway and roads projects, housing, industrial parks and the development of the special economic zones, all of which utilize steel products.
One of the leading steel manufacturers in the country strategically placed to cash in on the increased demand is Tononoka Group, a company that started as a small hardware store in Nairobi some 36 years ago and has over the years grown to become one of the leading steel manufacturer in East Africa and currently produces close to 20,000 tonnes of steel monthly.
Tononoka Group Brand Manager, Mr. David Kioko, says with this growth, the steel manufacturer has significantly contributed to the growth of the country’s manufacturing sector and the economy at large.
“As of today, we have a new state of the art rolling mill at our Dandora plant that’s fully automated and can produce up to 18,000 tonnes of re-bars a month. This production has gone a long way in solving the Demand vs Supply challenge in the country and across the borders,” says Mr Kioko in an interview.
comes to BRC as well as casings for all their water drilling solutions.
Kioko says the manufacturer’s contribution towards Vision 2030 and Big 4 agenda cannot be gainsaid, as it provides free and timely deliveries of steel, value added services such as cut and bend as well as reduced rates on steel to contractors that are setting up the low-cost housing.
Every manufacturer is now striving to take a leap towards Industry 4.0, and Tononoka is not left behind. The Group uses qualified engineers to provide quality services and automate its systems.
“Currently we have moved into having engineers in-house and made it a mandatory requirement when applying for a vacancy within the mill sections because most clients will need advice from an engineer’s perspective,” says Kioko.
He urges engineers not to condone unethical practices as has been reported before, especially in cases
the industry.
“One of the opportunities that
has propelled our growth is the trust our clients have in our products and services, and the other is our dedication to produce quality steel products. We do not compromise of quality.” he says.
All this growth and opportunities have however not come with challenges. Kioko says they have had to deal with high cost of production cost, power costs, high taxes on production, currency fluctuation, substandard materials in the market and crooked site managers and engineers.
“The government is now easily accessible and through bodies like Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), we are able to share our challenges and have them addressed. On substandard materials we have made it our mandate to educate users on how to check for good quality steel products,” he concludes.
A steel manufacturing plant at Tononoka Group. PHOTO: COURTESY
Engineering in Kenya Magazine Issue 002
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