How Sh2.2 trillion Dangote refinery will change Lamu and Kenya
President William Ruto and billionaire Aliko Dangote have broken ground on a $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya. The project is expected to be the largest private-sector investment in Kenyan history and will process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Why it matters
This massive infrastructure project aims to transform Kenya's economic landscape and establish the region as a major hub for oil refining in East Africa.
President William Ruto with billionaire Aliko Dangote at Dangote refinery in Lagos on September 25, 2026/PCS
LAMU — This historic Swahili town, long celebrated for its ancient dhows and UNESCO World Heritage charm, is on the cusp of an industrial revolution that will fundamentally alter its economic DNA.
Today ( Wednesday) , President William Ruto will lead 14 other regional heads of state and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, in breaking ground for the East African Oil Refinery — a $16 billion (Sh2.2 trillion) behemoth that will become the single largest private-sector investment in Kenya’s history.
The first vessel carrying project cargo, the MV Da Yang Bai He, laden with 2,930.295 metric tonnes of construction equipment from China, docked at Lamu Port’s Berth 3 over the weekend — a symbolic arrival that Kenya Ports Authority MD Captain William Ruto described as firmly establishing the facility’s capacity to handle ultra-large vessels.
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3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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