The 38-year-old Rwandan cement company, CIMERWA ,recently announced the appointment of their new Chief Executive Officer, Albert Kipkemoi Sigei, who is succeeding Bheki Mthembu whose term ended.
Sigei not only brings new ideas and skills to the company, but has also assured the company’s clientele that despite the challenges, they will still satisfy their consumer’s needs.
"CIMERWA has a legacy that spans three decades, it has prevailed and grown stronger through its journey and the experiences it encountered along the way,” he said during a news conference on Friday.
"Our customers can take comfort in this. We will remain the proud Sima Nyarwanda you love!”
Despite having had his first months at the company affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Sigei thinks the business sector could blossom post this pandemic.
"The COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic that is having far-reaching consequences on people’s lives, with far-reaching impact on businesses and disruption of supply chains. CIMERWA was no exception in this instance but now that businesses are opening up across Rwanda, we firmly believe that this is a time to roll up our sleeves our respective stations in order to thrive post-COVID.”
Sigei, who brings over 17 years of experience in the building materials sector, has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi, and has professional qualifications in accounting and information technology management.
His last posting was Malawi, where he worked as the local LafargeHolcim CEO, following shifts in Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria.
Rebranding products
Sigei also came in time for CIMERWA to rebrand their wide range of products to ‘SURE’, which he explained was for "the sole purpose of helping our customers buy cement based on its specific application and to ensure they make the most of our products.”
The rebrands are SUREBUILD, SURECEM, SUREROAD and SUREWALL, which is the newest addition to CIMERWA’s range of products.
SUREROAD and SURECEM are both graded as 32.5 N cement products.
SURECEM is an all-purpose cement ideal for concrete, mortar, plaster and brick joinery works while SUREROAD is a custom-made cement meant for road construction works.
SUREWALL is a 22.5 X masonry cement specifically designed for plastering and brick joinery works while SUREBUILD is a 42.5N premium cement meant for heavy construction projects.
The rebranding however, doesn’t affect the quality and pricing of the products.
"In a day and age where price is the first consideration for many when buying a product, CIMERWA refuses to compromise on quality. Cement is meant to build strong and durable structures, any compromise on this is not acceptable.”
CIMERWA is a member of Pretoria Portland Cement Company Limited (PPC Ltd), a leading supplier of cement, lime and related products in southern Africa.
PPC has 11 cement factories and a lime manufacturing facility in six African countries including South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia and Rwanda.