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Wed, 30 Sep 2026

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 Africa's richest man launches Kenya oil refinery despite land protests

The Kenya refinery is part of Dangote's ambitious bid to expand and help industralise Africa by 2030.

* Aliko Dangote and Kenya's President William Ruto have broken ground on a $16bn oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
* The refinery is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day, making it East Africa's largest industrial project by capacity.
* Some local residents protested the project, demanding more compensation for land used for the refinery.
* Dangote has offered regional governments a combined 30% stake in the refinery and says it will create 60,000 jobs.
* Critics have questioned the decision to build the refinery in Kenya, which is not an oil-producing country.
* The refinery will also include a 1,000-megawatt power plant and is expected to become Kenya's largest infrastructure project since independence.