Kenya’s Lamu refinery: Dangote loads up amid protests

Kenyan President William Ruto and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote are set to break ground on a giant $16bn refinery in Lamu on the northern coast.

When finished it will process 700,000 barrels of crude a day, making it East Africa’s largest industrial project by capacity and the continent’s first major refinery.

Some local residents have taken to the streets, demanding higher compensation for the land used for the plant.

Dangote dismissed the protests as political interference, insisting the refinery will go ahead and be ready by 2030.

The project also includes a 1,000‑megawatt power plant to supply electricity for the refinery and new industry.

Dangote says the plant will create 60,000 jobs and that reliable power is a key constraint on African industrialisation.

Critics question Kenya’s binational choice, pointing to oil‑producing neighbours such as Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenyan Energy Minister Opiyo says the refinery will import crude from the global market, citing Singapore as an example of a non‑oil producer with refineries.

Construction is slated to begin on 1 November, making it Dangote’s largest investment outside Nigeria.

The refinery is part of a growing trend of African private investment in energy infrastructure aimed at boosting growth.