Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has announced that his planned mega oil refinery in East Africa will be built in Kenya instead of Tanzania, ending months of speculation over which country would host the multibillion-dollar energy project.
The refinery will be constructed on Lamu Island, with construction expected to take 30 months.
Once completed, the facility will have the capacity to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest oil refinery in East Africa and one of the biggest on the African continent.
The refinery is expected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighboring countries, helping reduce East Africa’s dependence on imported refined fuel and lowering the region’s energy import costs.
The project is also expected to strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional petroleum trading hub while creating thousands of jobs during both the construction phase and regular operations.
Although the project had previously been expected to be developed in Tanzania, Dangote held talks with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan last month.
According to reliable sources, the Nigerian billionaire explained the reasons behind the change, saying the decision was primarily driven by technical, commercial, and logistical considerations. He noted that Kenya offered greater advantages for the project than Tanzania.
The announcement comes as Dangote continues expanding his investments in Africa’s energy sector. It follows the launch of his flagship refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, which has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The planned refinery in Kenya aligns with Dangote’s broader vision of increasing Africa’s refining capacity and reducing the continent’s reliance on imported petroleum products.
