Kenyan court orders pause to proposed Dangote refinery activities

The Malindi Environment and Land Court in Kenya has ordered that work on the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu County remain on hold pending a further hearing, after farmers and residents challenged the project’s impact on their land and property. Judge Jane Onyango directed the parties to maintain the existing situation. The order was issued on September 25 and made public on Monday, according to a Bloomberg report.

The court is due to give further directions on October 14. George Wakahiu, a lawyer representing the petitioners, told Bloomberg that the ruling meant construction should not begin before that hearing. The residents, from Chandavai in Lamu County, allege that people have faced forced eviction and that their property has been damaged or destroyed.

The petitioners also claim that the project has no resettlement plan and that Dangote and Kenyan authorities have not complied with environmental requirements. They say a mandatory environmental impact assessment should have been completed before implementation of a major project. They further argue that the proposed refinery does not meet constitutional requirements for public participation.

The claims remain before the court. Dangote Group gave a different emphasis in a statement reported by Reuters. The company said the court had not halted the refinery’s groundbreaking ceremony at this stage, while acknowledging that activities at the site might be affected because both parties were required not to carry out activities before the October 14 hearing.

The planned facility is expected to have a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day. Kenyan President William Ruto has said his government was accelerating administrative processes and had secured land for the project. Dangote Group chief Aliko Dangote has said the Kenyan refinery would be larger than the company’s existing Nigerian facility.