High cost of inputs hurting steel sector The Star Image: JOHN CHESOLI •Kenya's steel sector is strongly linked to the growth of complementary sectors such as housing and construction, energy and electronics and chemical and allied. •Presently, Kenya’s Metal sector (iron & steel) forms approximately 13 per cent of the manufacturing sector. The demand for steel is increasing in the country, as government-driven infrastructural development, and commercial and residential buildings surge. Steel is a core piece of the modern economy. It is used as a paradigm to gauge the overall economic status of a country, as well as an indicator of the investments dedicated to infrastructure and subsequently, a measure of developmental progress and stability.