Dangote and Ruto Plan $16bn Lamu Refinery, Kenyas Biggest Since Independence
Last update: September 30, 2026
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Could a quiet fishing coastline in Lamu become the engine room for cheaper fuel and thousands of jobs?
According to cbinews.tv, Aliko Dangote and President William Ruto will break ground on a $16bn refinery in Lamu. It would process 700,000 barrels a day, making it East Africa's largest and matching Dangote's Lekki plant in Nigeria.
Kenya shut its Mombasa refinery in 2013 and now imports all refined fuel, so pump prices stay high. If built, it would top the $5.1bn Standard Gauge Railway as Kenya's biggest project since 1963.
Some residents protested over land compensation. Dangote told newsmen it was games by marketers. But Save Lamu cofounder Walid Ali said locals have not seen the environmental assessment and want a say.
At peak, Dangote promises 60,000 jobs plus a 1,000-megawatt power plant for plug-and-play industry, vital in a county where many rely on fishing.
Why put a refinery where there is no oil? Both Kenya and Dangote point to Singapore, which refines without producing a drop. Crude is bought on the open market.
The wider idea links to LAPSSET, the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia corridor dreamed up in the 1970s. What next? Construction starts 1 November, target 2030, with hopes of easing fuel costs, though global crude prices still set the bill, as reported by cbinews.tv.
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