Kenya: Ruto Says Dangote’s $16 Billion Lamu Refinery Will Proceed Despite  Court Case

Kenya and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, are going ahead with the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, for the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, despite a lawsuit challenging the project.

The lawsuit was filed by 133 residents of Chandavai, an area in Lamu County, who accused the government of unlawfully taking over their land, where the refinery is expected to be built.

The Malindi Environment and Land Court ordered that the “status quo prevailing” on the land should be maintained until a hearing on Oct. 14.

However, commenting on the issue during his tour of Kilifi and Kwale counties on Tuesday, President William Ruto defended Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, who has pledged to invest KSh2 trillion ($16 billion) in the project.

Ruto said the Dangote East Africa Oil Refinery project in Lamu would proceed despite court orders and resistance, accusing “disgruntled opposition sponsors” of attempting to undermine the investment.

Ruto said he would not allow another incident of “sabotage” against investors.

The president was responding to residents of Chandavai in Lamu who had staged demonstrations against the groundbreaking of the project, demanding compensation for the 7,000-acre piece of land.

“I have seen you trying to make an issue out of this on social media and at press conferences. You are the ones who took this case to court. You are the sponsors of the court cases. You are against this investment because you have not gotten what you have been doing. You have had enough,” he stated.

Ruto accused the opposition of disrupting the project, claiming that their demands for shares in the deal had been rejected.

“Those brokers of shares keep telling us they want shares, I don’t know whose shares, I don’t know who. That fraud you carried out is what caused Kenya to miss out on investment. All Kenyans will get an opportunity to buy shares in that company. Transparently. Don’t pretend that because you have shares in KPLC, you are the only ones who matter,” he said.

The president also came to Dangote’s defence, claiming that he had been frustrated multiple times before relocating some investments to other countries during the tenure of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“That Dangote wanted to establish a cement company, but he was frustrated by all kinds of conditions until he went elsewhere. Right here in Kenya, Uganda was supposed to build a pipeline passing through Kenya, but they frustrated him over shares until they went to Uganda,” said the head of state.

Ruto maintained that the project would go ahead despite the court orders.

“Yes, these people think they will frustrate Dangote. I am telling you, I am watching closely. You will not get away with this next year because of this Dangote issue. Foreign direct investment will reach between $6 billion and $7 billion. An investor does not want conditions; they want incentives,” he said.