Despite Court Order, Ruto Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony for Dangote Refinery in Kenya
Kenyan President, Ruto, together with Aliko Dangote, on Wednesday 30th September 2026, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery, in Lemu, a KSh2.2 trillion ($16 billion) mega project set to transform the energy and industrial landscape of Kenya and the region.
Four heads of State and other high-level delegations from various African countries witnessed the landmark ceremony. This is the clearest signal that the impact of this project will extend far beyond Kenya’s borders.
With a capacity of 700,000 barrels daily, the refinery will be the largest in East and Central Africa and among the biggest in the world. It will strengthen regional energy security, reduce reliance on imports and bolster our foreign exchange.
But this is more than a refinery. It is an integrated industrial complex featuring a 1,000MW power plant, plastic factory and the manufacturing of fertilisers and chemicals.
The project will boost the Kenyan economy by 12 per cent, inject additional $4 billion in foreign direct investment each year for the four years of construction, providing 60,000 direct jobs, building local expertise and accelerating the transformation of the Lamu Port South Sudan and Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor into a major industrial hub.
For too long, Africa has exported raw materials and imported finished products, exporting wealth and jobs. We are firm in our determination to reverse this trend.
The establishment of this refinery is a turning point, demonstrating our resolve to reimagine Africa’s industrial future, turn our ambitions into action and tap the continent’s massive potential.