Sh2.2 trillion East African Refinery to break ground next week

Construction of the East Africa Refinery in Lamu is set to begin next Wednesday, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced.

Kindiki said the project would position Kenya as a competitive energy logistics hub and help unlock Lamu’s economy.

Speaking after the final preparations meeting at his official residence in Karen, Kindiki said President William Ruto would lead the groundbreaking ceremony, which will be attended by invited heads of state and government from the East African region.

“I held the final meeting to prepare for the groundbreaking of the East Africa Refinery in Lamu. The refinery will position Kenya and East Africa as a key petrochemical industrial hub and a competitive energy logistics centre,” the DP said.

He described the refinery as a landmark project that would boost industrialisation, create more than 50,000 jobs and stimulate economic activity in Lamu and the wider Coast region.

The Sh2.2 trillion project, backed by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day. It is expected to be completed within three years.

The refinery would be the largest in East Africa and among the largest on the continent. It is expected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring countries, reducing reliance on imported fuel.

Kindiki said the project would also help transform Kenya from a fuel importer into a regional processing and distribution hub.

“The strategic prize for Kenya is not simply replacing imported petrol and diesel. It is shifting the country from being predominantly a fuel importer to becoming a regional processing and distribution hub,” he added.

President Ruto has backed the project as a major investment in Kenya’s energy and industrial sectors.

Government projections put the number of jobs to be created at about 60,000.