Kenyan President William Ruto has announced that the country is ready to break ground on the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu, a landmark project being developed in partnership with Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote.
The President made the disclosure on Monday after holding talks with Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries, and Samaila Zubairu, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
“We are ready to break ground on the East Africa refinery in Lamu, a transformative project that will enhance the region’s energy security, deepen local value addition, create jobs and advance our industrialisation agenda,” Ruto said.
He added: “The refinery will unlock new economic opportunities, strengthen regional supply chains and position East Africa as a competitive energy and industrial hub.”
The proposed refinery is estimated at approximately KSh 2.2 trillion (US$17 billion) and is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Once completed, it will be the largest refinery in East Africa and one of the biggest on the African continent.
The facility is expected to create more than 60,000 jobs and supply refined petroleum products to markets across East and Central Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The project forms part of Kenya’s broader strategy to develop Lamu into a major energy, industrial and logistics hub. Groundbreaking is scheduled for 30 September 2026.
Discussions in New York focused on financing arrangements and final preparations to move the project from planning into full implementation.
The Kenyan government has already established coordination structures, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki leading an inter-ministerial committee to work with private investors and stakeholders.