Kenya: Sifuna Demands Ruto-Dangote Refinery Agreement, Cites Constitutional Right to Information

What the report says

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has publicly pressed President William Ruto’s administration to release the agreement tied to the proposed Dangote oil refinery project in Lamu, according to Capital FM’s report republished by AllAfrica. The dispute came after Ruto criticized calls for disclosure of the deal. Sifuna said the request was based on Kenya’s constitutional right to access information and argued that major public-interest agreements should not be kept from citizens.

In his remarks, Sifuna pointed to Article 35 of the Constitution, which covers access to information held by the State and requires publication of important information affecting the nation. He said disclosure should be a constitutional duty rather than a matter left to individual officials. He also criticized what he described as opaque negotiations, framing the issue as one of transparency in government business.

The refinery project remains a major political and economic talking point. The report says the planned Dangote East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu has been promoted by Ruto as a large investment expected to support jobs, foreign investment and related industries. Public debate has focused on the project’s financing, ownership and the terms of any government involvement. The exchange has shifted attention from the project’s development plans to broader questions about openness and public access to state agreements.