Kenya: Ruto Accuses Lamu Refinery Court Challengers of Extortion, Urges Kenyans to Invest

What the report says

President William Ruto has defended the planned East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, while accusing some people who are challenging the project in court of trying to extort investors. The comments, reported by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica, came after the refinery’s groundbreaking and amid an ongoing land dispute at the site.

According to the report, the proposed project is valued at Sh2.2 trillion and is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day. Ruto said the refinery should move ahead despite the legal objections, arguing that it would create jobs, support industrial growth and strengthen Kenya’s role in regional fuel supply. The president also urged Kenyans to take part in the venture, saying it would be structured as an open investment with shares available through the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

The article says residents have raised concerns about land ownership, compensation and related issues, and that a Kenyan court has issued orders affecting activity at the project site. Dangote Group, which is associated with the project, has said the legal process will not stop the planned groundbreaking. Ruto has projected that the refinery and related developments could generate tens of thousands of jobs, and the report says the project is also expected to support downstream industries such as petrochemicals, fertiliser and packaging.

More broadly, the refinery is being presented as a major industrial investment for Kenya and East Africa, with completion expected over several years. The dispute highlights the tension between large infrastructure plans, community land concerns and efforts to attract local and foreign capital.