Kenya orders Lafarge to dilute stake in Portlandhe government of Kenya has given French multinational cement conglomerate Lafarge an ultimatum to voluntarily offload part of its shares in East African Portland Cement Ltd or have its stake in the company diluted by force under anti-trust laws.
In a letter to Lafarge dated April 16 the acting director of the Competition Authority of Kenya, John Mwangi, accused the French multinational of “unwarranted concentration of economic power in the cement industry in Kenya,” citing LaFarge’s sizeable shareholding in two of the country’s leading cement producers.
“The authority is intending to invoke section 82 of the Competition Act to order you to divest your interests in East Africa Portland Cement,” he added.
Offload the shares to whom and at what price?