President William Ruto and Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote have officially broken ground for the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu County, marking the beginning of one of the most ambitious industrial projects in Kenya and the wider region.
The KSh2.2 trillion ($16 billion) project, located in Mokowe, is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, which would make it the largest refinery in East and Central Africa. The groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday was attended by several African heads of state, including leaders from Uganda, Ethiopia, Togo and Benin, as well as Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ruto said the project goes beyond petroleum refining, describing it as a major industrial complex that will include a 1,000-megawatt power plant, petrochemical manufacturing and production of fertilisers and chemicals. The refinery is expected to strengthen regional energy security and reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
The project is also expected to create tens of thousands of jobs during construction and support industrial development along the LAPSSET Corridor, positioning Lamu as a major regional energy and industrial hub.
For Ruto, the groundbreaking represents a broader push to have Africa process more of its own raw materials instead of exporting them and importing finished products. The refinery is expected to serve markets across East and Central Africa once completed.
“This is more than a refinery. It is a turning point in Africa’s industrial journey,” the President said, emphasising the potential of the project to transform Kenya’s energy and manufacturing landscape.
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