DANGOTE DISMISSES LEGAL HURDLES TO KENYA REFINERY

Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, has expressed confidence that legal challenges surrounding his planned oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya, will not derail the project.

Dangote spoke on Tuesday in Nairobi during an engagement with Kenyan and East African institutional investors. He described the latest legal dispute as part of the challenges that can arise when major projects are being developed.

His comments followed a Kenyan court order directing parties to maintain the status quo on land earmarked for the refinery until a further hearing scheduled for October 14.

The case was brought by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim ancestral rights to the land and have raised concerns about compensation, resettlement and environmental requirements.

Dangote said he remained prepared to address the legal challenge and would continue with the project despite the development.

The Dangote Group also said the court order would not stop the planned groundbreaking ceremony, although activities at the project site could be affected pending the court proceedings.

The proposed refinery is expected to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and form part of Kenya’s plans to expand its energy and industrial capacity.

Kenyan President William Ruto has backed the project and confirmed plans for the groundbreaking ceremony on September 30.

The refinery is expected to serve markets across East and Central Africa and support wider industrial development in the region.