Lamu refinery dream faces one major hurdle: Kenya's skills gap

A worker walks at a power plant of an oil processing facility [File, Standard]

Even before the groundbreaking ceremony for the grand construction of an oil refinery in Lamu County takes place, concerns have emerged over the lack of a skilled workforce in the country to operate a modern refinery.

On paper, the figures are extraordinary. An investment of Sh2.2 trillion in a refinery with a projected processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the second largest in Africa. It is estimated that it will provide 60,000 jobs for Kenyan youth.