Leave refinery project to local investors, Kenyan presidential candidate tells Dangote

Kenyan presidential candidate Patrick Osoi has urged Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote to delay his proposed refinery project in Kenya, saying local investors could undertake the project if he becomes president next year.

Osoi made the remarks while addressing supporters at a Lions Movement event, arguing that Kenya had businesspeople capable of establishing a refinery without depending on the Nigerian industrialist.

“I want to tell Aliko Dangote, please don’t rush to start the refinery because, when I’m sworn in as President of Kenya next year, you will be heading back to Nigeria,” he said.

“We Kenyans have business people who can start the refinery. We also have business people in this country who can do that job. This is what we stand for. This is the home of all movements,” he added.

Dangote plans to establish a $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with a proposed processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The project is expected to serve Kenya and other East African countries, expand regional refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto reportedly performed the groundbreaking ceremony on September 30, 2026. The refinery is expected to take about 40 months to complete.

However, the project has faced opposition from some local residents over land ownership, compensation and environmental concerns. A Kenyan court has also ordered that the status quo be maintained in a land dispute involving the project.