Bypassing Parliament? MP Kibagendi Challenges Ruto Over Dangote Refinery Deal

Kitutu Chache South Member of Parliament Antony Kibagendi has fiercely questioned President William Ruto’s authority to deploy public resources—specifically from the National Infrastructure Fund—into the proposed Ksh2.23 trillion Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu without parliamentary approval.

Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, October 5, 2026, Kibagendi raised alarm over what he described as a growing pattern of opacity surrounding major state-backed investments. He reminded the administration that Parliament holds the constitutional power of the purse and must scrutinize and approve any commitment of public assets on such a massive scale.

“The opaque nature around investments involving public resources has become an unacceptable trend,” Kibagendi stated. “It is Parliament that should okay any form of such heavy investment, yet the government continues to bypass proper oversight mechanisms.”

Kibagendi took particular issue with President Ruto’s announcement at the groundbreaking ceremony in Mokowe, Lamu, where the President disclosed that Kenya would commit public assets, prime land, and National Infrastructure Fund capital to secure a state stake in the mega-refinery.

Furthermore, the lawmaker poured cold water on government projections regarding job creation and fuel price reductions. Comparing the venture to Dangote’s existing plant in Nigeria, Kibagendi noted that the Nigerian facility employs roughly 3,000 to 4,000 workers and has done little to reduce local pump prices, dismissing claims that the Lamu project would generate tens of thousands of local jobs.

President Ruto has defended the financing strategy, asserting that 21st-century infrastructure demands innovative funding mechanisms that leverage public capital to attract private institutional investors. However, with opposition MPs raising critical questions over ownership terms, land allocation, and fiscal transparency, the multi-trillion-shilling refinery deal faces mounting Parliamentary resistance.