Kenya Breaks Ground on $16 Billion Lamu Refinery with Dangote

The 700,000-barrel-per-day Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery, backed by the Africa Finance Corporation, will include a 1,000-megawatt power plant and create 60,000 construction jobs, with commissioning planned in 40 months. Kenya holds an initial 10 percent stake, potentially rising to 30 percent for regional partners, while Dangote pledged a training school for local engineers.

Tensions arose as Senator Edwin Sifuna demanded the hidden agreement details, drawing a sharp rebuke from Ruto, who accused him of seeking it for extortion, as critics question transparency and the project's fit in an EV era.