Ruto Warns Against Attempts to Block Dangote’s Sh2.9 Trillion Lamu Refinery

President William Ruto has warned against attempts to block the construction of a multi-trillion-shilling oil refinery in Lamu, backed by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote.

The warning comes as the proposed refinery faces a legal challenge from residents over ownership of the land where the project is planned. The Malindi Environment and Land Court last week ordered that the status quo be maintained at the proposed site until mid-October. The order followed a petition filed by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County.

The residents claim the land is ancestral territory that has been occupied and cultivated by their families for generations. The court order has halted activity at the site until the case is heard on 14 October.

Speaking in Kilifi, President Ruto alleged that the legal challenge was being driven by individuals who had failed to secure shares in the refinery rather than by genuine community concerns. He accused such individuals of using tactics that had previously contributed to the loss of major investments in Kenya.

“I want to tell those people, you cannot defraud us all the time. Because of these shares brokers, Kenya lost investors,” Ruto said.

He cited the collapse of Dangote’s plans to build a cement factory in Kenya in 2013 and Uganda’s decision in 2014 to transport its crude oil through Tanzania after discussions over a pipeline route through Kenya. Ruto also used the phrase “niko macho mbaya sana”, warning that he would closely monitor efforts to interfere with the refinery project.

The proposed refinery is estimated to cost between Sh2.2 trillion and Sh2.9 trillion and is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day. If completed, it would be the largest refinery in East Africa.Dangote Group has sought to reassure stakeholders that the court order will not prevent the planned ceremonial groundbreaking later this month. The company said site activities could be affected by the ruling but maintained that the wider project schedule remained unchanged.

The company has said the refinery will be modelled on Dangote’s facility in Lagos and will require an investment of between $15 billion and $16 billion. It is expected to be completed by 2030. The land dispute has placed the project at the intersection of Kenya’s industrial development plans and longstanding concerns over land rights in coastal communities