Kenya: Bamburi Cement expects a robust second half of 2013 according to Reuters, after it saw its pretax profit drop by 12% in the first half of 2013. It attributed the decline to uncertainty over the Kenyan elections and a slowdown in its export markets.
Bamburi, which is controlled by the French multinational cement giant Lafarge, posted a first-half pretax profit of US$37.46m, while its turnover declined by 18% to US$180.8m.
"We started seeing a significant turnaround in the markets of Kenya and Uganda with continued signs of an improving macro-economic environment in both countries," said the company. "The group is therefore strongly optimistic of a stronger second half."