Nigeria: Dangote Upbeat On Take-Off of $16bn Kenya Refinery Despite Court Ruling

What the report says

Aliko Dangote said he still expects the planned launch of his proposed $16 billion Lamu Refinery in Kenya to move ahead, even after a Kenyan court ordered the parties to preserve the status quo on the disputed site. The report, published by This Day and distributed by AllAfrica, says the Malindi Environment and Land Court issued the order after a lawsuit by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who argue the land belongs to their ancestral heritage and say their families have used it for generations.

According to the article, the court’s interim order blocks activities such as clearing, excavation, fencing, demolition and construction on the affected land until a hearing scheduled for October 14. The judges did not stop the planned September 30 groundbreaking ceremony, and Dangote Group said the event would still go ahead, while acknowledging site work could be affected by the ruling.

Dangote also told investors in Nairobi that the dispute would not derail the project. The refinery is planned as a 700,000-barrel-per-day facility targeted for completion by 2030. It is expected to process crude from Kenya’s Turkana oilfields and other African sources, and could reduce East Africa’s dependence on imported fuel.

The article adds that the African Energy Chamber urged a quick resolution, saying land rights, compensation and environmental concerns should be addressed under Kenyan law without causing prolonged delays. As context, Kenya has not had an operating refinery since 2013, which has left the region reliant on imported petroleum products.