Dangote says legal challenge will not derail planned Kenya refinery

Aliko Dangote has said a Kenyan court order affecting construction activities at the proposed Lamu refinery will not prevent the project from moving forward. Dangote spoke in Nairobi on Tuesday at an investor engagement linked to the initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery. His comments followed reports that a Kenyan court had ordered the status quo to be maintained at the proposed site pending a further hearing.

The petition was filed by farmers and residents of Chandavai in Lamu County. They alleged that people had been forcibly evicted and that their properties had been destroyed. The petitioners also questioned whether the project had met environmental and public participation requirements.

According to a Bloomberg report cited by Punch, the Malindi Environment and Land Court issued the order, with further directions scheduled for October 14. Dangote said he regarded legal challenges to major projects as routine and indicated that he was prepared to confront those opposing the refinery. Dangote Group said separately that the order had not cancelled the planned groundbreaking ceremony, although activity at the site could be affected until the hearing.

The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday. The proposed refinery is intended to serve the East African market. Dangote Group is expected to hold a 70 per cent stake, while regional governments, including Kenya and Rwanda, are expected to hold the remaining interest.

Kenyan President William Ruto has said his government is accelerating administrative procedures for the project. During a recent visit to the Dangote refinery in Lagos, he said land had been secured and that work was under way to remove bureaucratic obstacles ahead of the planned 700,000-barrel-per-day facility.