On 6th April 2018 CemNet Newsroom reported that cement prices in Uganda have increased by UGX5000-11,000 (US$1.35-2.98) within a month, sparking a country-wide crisis in the building sector. Pader District, some 411km from the capital Kampala, reported the highest price at UGX50,000 for a 50kg bag of cement.

That’s expensive cement. Tororo and Hima Cement say the problem is the electricity supply to their cement factories. The electricity provider UMEME denies that saying there is plenty of stable electricity in Uganda. They suspect the cement companies are prioritising major customers leaving retail customers under supplied.

Uganda is landlocked and not easily served by imports so high prices might be expected to persist.