Ruto to visit Dangote refinery ahead of Kenya project

Kenya President Williams Ruto and Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote...Photo Credit: X / Williams Ruto

Barring any last-minute change in plans, Kenyan President William Ruto is expected to visit the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, on Friday ahead of the September 30 groundbreaking of the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya.

The visit was confirmed by the Dangote Group, which said its President, Aliko Dangote, would host Ruto at the Lekki refinery.

An official of the group told our correspondent that Dangote and the Kenyan President would break ground for the new facility in Kenya on Wednesday, September 30.

The visit comes as the two sides intensify preparations for the multibillion-dollar project, which is expected to expand refining capacity and strengthen petroleum supply in East Africa.

Dangote is targeting a refining capacity of 2.1 million barrels per day through the construction of the Kenyan refinery and the planned expansion of the Lekki refinery from its current 700,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.

Ruto on Monday announced that Kenya was ready to break ground on the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu after holding discussions with Dangote and the Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation, Samaila Zubairu, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.

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The Kenyan president said the discussions focused on financing and final preparations for the commencement of the refinery project.

“We are ready to break ground on the East Africa refinery in Lamu, a transformative project that will enhance the region’s energy security, deepen local value addition, create jobs and advance our industrialisation agenda,” Ruto stated.

He added that the project would create new economic opportunities, strengthen regional supply chains and position East Africa as an energy and industrial hub.

The proposed refinery is expected to form part of Kenya’s efforts to increase domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.

The project also underscores the growing investment relationship between Dangote and Kenya, with the Nigerian businessman expanding his refining interests beyond the 650,000-barrel-per-day Lekki facility.

The Dangote refinery, which began operations in Lagos, has continued to increase its production and supply of refined petroleum products to the Nigerian market while also exporting products to international markets.