Dangote refinery plan faces land dispute ahead of Kenya groundbreaking
Aliko Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto are expected to launch a proposed $15 billion-$16 billion refinery in Lamu, but residents and activists are challenging land acquisition, compensation and environmental procedures. A court has temporarily halted construction activity pending a hearing, while Dangote says the project will proceed.
A proposed $15 billion-$16 billion oil refinery in Kenya’s Lamu County is facing protests and legal challenges over land acquisition and compensation ahead of its planned groundbreaking by Aliko Dangote and President William Ruto. Residents of Chandavai have protested for what they consider better compensation for land earmarked for the project. Farmers and other residents have also filed a case alleging forced eviction and property destruction without adequate compensation or a proper resettlement plan.
The petitioners say the land forms part of their ancestral heritage and supports their families’ livelihoods. The Malindi Environment and Land Court has ordered a temporary halt to construction activities pending a hearing. Environmental activists have separately questioned whether the project met Kenyan requirements for public participation and comprehensive environmental impact assessments.
The material does not give a date for the court hearing or indicate whether construction has begun. Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries, has rejected claims that compensation was inadequate. In comments reported by the BBC, he said the company had acquired only the land it needed from the area made available by the government and maintained that the refinery would proceed and be ready by 2030.
The planned facility is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude a day and supply refined products to Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It would also include a 1,000-megawatt power plant for the refinery and other industries. Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Minister Opiyo Wandayi said the refinery would be able to obtain crude from the international market rather than relying solely on regional production.
The project’s progress remains tied to resolving the land, compensation and environmental disputes.
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