NRC MACHINE Delivers Small-Scale Toilet Paper Machines to Kenya.

NAIROBI, Kenya – NRC MACHINE has completed the delivery of one set of small-scale toilet paper making machines to local entrepreneurs in Nairobi and Mombasa, aiming to alleviate Kenya’s ongoing toilet paper supply shortage caused by soaring import costs and raw material scarcity, the company confirmed on Monday.

Kenya’s toilet paper crisis has persisted for over a year, with a 10-roll pack now priced at 500 Kenyan shillings ($3.90) – more than double the 2022 price of 200 shillings. The crisis stems from reliance on imported wood pulp (mostly from Egypt), which has pushed production costs up by 50%, combined with a government logging ban that crippled domestic fiber supplies. Kenya currently imports 365,371 tonnes of pulp annually, while local production meets less than 20% of demand.

“Small businesses were hit hardest – they couldn’t afford large machinery or imported raw materials,” said Lina Wang, NRC MACHINE’s Africa sales director. The company’s NRC1880-model machines, are designed for such markets. Equipped with PLC control systems and frequency-variable speed drives, they process jumbo rolls into small toilet paper at 100-300 meters per minute, with a daily capacity of 5-8 tons.

John Kamau, a Nairobi-based entrepreneur who purchased two machines, noted the impact: “We used to import finished rolls, but now we produce toilet paper rolls locally. Production costs dropped by 40%, and we sell 10-roll packs for 350 shillings – affordable for families.”

NRC MACHINE’s package includes installation, operator training, and a 1-year warranty – critical for Kenyan buyers wary of after-sales gaps. “We support technical service within 48 hours if there’s an issue,” Wang added.

The sale aligns with Kenya’s push to boost local manufacturing. Last year, the government imposed tariffs on imported paper products to protect domestic producers. Fredrick Onyango Ogutu, a researcher at Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute, called the machines “a solution to import dependency.”

NRC MACHINE plans to expand to other African countries by 2026, with customized machines for rural areas. “Small-scale production is the key to making toilet paper a basic necessity again, not a luxury,” Wang said.