Ruto Reveals Dangote Refinery Plan Triggered by Middle East Fuel Crisis

Kenyan President William Ruto revealed that the country's plan for a Sh2 trillion Dangote refinery in Lamu was driven by a lesson from the Middle East. He explained that global fuel disruptions exposed Kenya's dependence on imported refined petroleum products, prompting the project.

Ruto pointed to instability around the Strait of Hormuz as a wake-up call for Kenya to strengthen its energy security. The President said he then sent officials to Nigeria to meet businessman Aliko Dangote and inspect his refinery. Their assessment led to further studies on whether a similar facility could work in East Africa.

The refinery has now moved from an idea to a construction project, with the facility planned to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The $16 billion project is expected to take about 40 months to complete, putting the target commissioning date around early 2030.