A Company on the Brink

East African Portland Cement (EAPC), once a cornerstone of Kenya’s industrial growth, is gasping for air. Instead of bold strategies to save jobs and restore competitiveness, its leadership seems trapped in petty power games. The latest storm surrounds Managing Director Mohamed Osman, whose stance on Holcim’s planned stake transfer has sparked outrage across industry and political circles.

Holcim’s move to offload its 29% stake to Kalahari Cement was viewed as a lifeline for EAPC. Yet, Osman reportedly bragged about frustrating the transaction, openly preferring Somali investors “because they speak his language.” This is more than careless—it is corporate sabotage wrapped in tribal favoritism.

Tribal Comfort vs. Corporate Survival

A managing director’s duty is to guard shareholder value, protect workers, and secure growth. But when Osman reduces EAPC’s future to language ties, he narrows a national asset into a parochial fiefdom. In a company struggling with debt, strikes, and declining output, tribal games are not just disgraceful—they are dangerous.

His interference in what is essentially a private transaction between Holcim and Kalahari Cement smacks of overreach. Government insiders, including Dr. Juma Mukwana, have already clarified that the state has no business dictating Holcim’s sale. Yet Osman seems determined to bend the rules, shielding vested interests at the expense of thousands of jobs.

Workers Caught in the Crossfire

EAPC employees, already reeling from wage disputes and low morale, now face greater uncertainty. Strikes have become routine, reflecting frustration with a management style defined by favoritism rather than competence. For workers who depend on steady production to feed their families, Osman’s brinkmanship feels like betrayal. Every day wasted in boardroom theatrics translates to dwindling wages, stalled output, and a bleeding economy.

Holcim’s Exit and the Real Stakes

Holcim’s decision to exit was not sudden. The multinational has long been disillusioned with the inefficiencies and leadership wrangles choking EAPC. Kalahari Cement’s planned acquisition could have injected stability, capital, and technical expertise. Blocking that transfer is not just corporate interference—it’s an assault on the very survival of EAPC.

If the sale collapses under Osman’s watch, the company risks sliding deeper into insolvency. Once lost, investor confidence is near impossible to regain. The tragedy is that EAPC, a national heritage brand, could collapse not because of market forces, but because of one man’s arrogance.

Leadership or Sabotage?

When a PS says “let the market decide” but an MD vows to “block it at low cost,” the line between leadership and sabotage is clear. Osman’s boasts about “connections” and his insistence on dictating Holcim’s buyer reveal a mindset intoxicated by power, not responsibility.

Favoritism breeds division. Division breeds strikes. Strikes cripple production. This is the vicious cycle that EAPC is trapped in—and it won’t end until accountability is enforced.

The Way Forward

EAPC’s recovery hinges on three urgent steps:

End leadership sabotage – The MD must be reined in, with clear boundaries set around his role.

Allow private transactions to proceed – Holcim has the right to sell its stake to the highest, most credible bidder without interference.

Restore trust – Workers, investors, and the public need reassurance that EAPC is not a tribal playground but a serious enterprise.

Anything less is slow-motion suicide for a company that should be powering Kenya’s infrastructure growth, not stumbling into collapse.