This was announced by Kenya’s President, William Ruto, on April 23, 2026. He stated that the refinery could be built in Tanzania at the port of Tanga. He made the remarks during a meeting held in Nairobi focused on financing infrastructure projects.
The project is being considered at a time when fuel prices are rising, partly due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. This route carries over 20% of the world’s petroleum supplies.
East African countries have also depended on this route, as they import fuel from the Middle East.
President Ruto said, “We are going to have a shared refinery in Tanga that will benefit all of us, as it will process petroleum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda.”
Aliko Dangote, who also attended the meeting, said he could build a refinery in East Africa similar to the one in Nigeria, which processes 650,000 barrels per day, if countries agree on the project.
He said, “If we reach an agreement with three or four governments, we can move forward, and the refinery could be completed within four to five years.”
Dangote also revealed plans to build 20 fertilizer plants across different regions by 2028 to meet Africa’s demand.
Uganda is expected to begin selling crude oil this year and has also shown interest in building a refinery.
In 2024, Uganda announced talks with Alpha MBM Investments to construct a refinery capable of processing 60,000 barrels per day.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is the largest refinery in Africa and one of the largest in the world operating as a single-train facility.
At least 62% of Nigeria’s fuel is refined by this facility, which also exports significant quantities to other African countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, and Tanzania.
