From Wasteland to Paradise

In August 1964 I joined Bamburi Cement Co. Ltd. Mombasa (Kenya) as Chief structural engineer (civil) at the time when major extensions were underway already. Bamburi Portland Cement Works started up the two shaft kilns producing cement clinker out of dead coral rock technically for the first time in 1954. For almost 22 years I was involved in all civil constructions for the same Works that achieved a rated capacity of total 1,250.000 metric t/year with 6 shaft kilns (Von Roll & Krupp) and 2 Humbold-Wedag 4 stage Preheater rotary kilns at the time of my retirement in 1987.

The works excavate from quarry over 900,000 tons of fossil coral limestone annually that is then burned into cement clinker. The excavation depth dependents on either of the silica content in raw excavated material or on the ground water table that underlies the quarry whole area. The quarry floor consists mainly of very hard porous fossil coral limestone containing minerals of silica, alumina and iron oxides and the calcium carbonate dominating. The constantly expanding scar in the pleasant coastal landscape concerned the Company’s management and one decided starting an experiment aiming to rehabilitate of the whole area and to hide that ugly scar as soon as possible.

During my regular visits to the Works I was rather interested with the project of the quarry rehabilitation and followed its progress since it began in 1971. Almost every year I visited the Bamburi Nature Trail and continuing it after my retirement in the company of my wife and grandchildren on few occasions too. I’d like to report on a few technical data first to be followed by some most important explanations regarding the natural development in this sanctuary that may interest the readers too.