Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, has accused local petroleum marketers and international oil companies of driving protests against his group’s proposed $16bn refinery in Lamu, Kenya, as the project faces a separate legal challenge over the land earmarked for its construction.
Dangote made the allegation in an interview with the BBC’s Focus on Africa after he and Kenyan President William Ruto formally broke ground for the refinery in Lamu on Wednesday.
He dismissed the protests as opposition to a development project, alleging that they were part of what he described as “games played by local marketers and international players.”
Dangote maintained that the refinery project would proceed despite the protests and legal dispute, with completion targeted for 2030.
The proposed facility is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the largest planned refining projects in Africa. Dangote said the development would replicate the model of his refinery in Nigeria and demonstrate that large-scale refining can be developed elsewhere on the continent.
“Lekki proved that it can be done, Lamu must prove that it can be repeated,” he said.
The Lamu project is, however, facing opposition from residents over the acquisition of land for the refinery. A group of 133 residents has challenged the development in the Kenyan courts, with the dispute involving claims over land ownership and compensation.
The Malindi Environment and Land Court has directed parties to maintain the status quo on the disputed parcel pending further proceedings scheduled for October 14. The order has affected construction activities on the site, although the legal action did not prevent the September 30 groundbreaking ceremony.
Dangote disputed claims that his group had taken more land than required, saying the project was being developed on the portion allocated by the Kenyan Government.
The land dispute has also been accompanied by environmental concerns. Save Lamu, a local campaign group, has questioned the potential impact of the refinery on the surrounding community and called for greater disclosure of the project’s environmental assessment and proposed mitigation measures.
The concerns come as Dangote positions the refinery as a major regional industrial project. The facility is expected to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel to Kenya and other East African markets when completed.
Dangote said the project would generate about 60,000 jobs at the peak of construction, with local communities expected to benefit from the development.
The refinery will also incorporate a 1,000-megawatt power plant intended to provide electricity for Dangote’s operations and other industries that could emerge around the project.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew several African leaders, including the presidents of Uganda and Ethiopia, as well as the leaders of Togo and Benin, underscoring the regional significance attached to the project.
Dangote has also offered regional governments a combined 30 percent stake in the refinery, according to Reuters.
The proposed refinery is expected to become East Africa’s largest refinery and one of Kenya’s biggest infrastructure investments since independence.
For Dangote, the Lamu project represents his largest proposed investment outside Nigeria. The industrialist has remained publicly committed to delivering the refinery despite the land dispute, environmental concerns and opposition surrounding the site.