SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto have launched construction of a $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu. The new Kenyan refinery is touted as East Africa’s largest refining project.
The proposed facility is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is expected to be completed by 2030. Additionally, the project will feature a 1,000-megawatt power plant. The electricity generated at the plant will support the refinery operations and other industrial projects in the region. During peak construction, the project is expected to support nearly 60,000 jobs.
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However, the project is reportedly facing opposition from sections of the local community, with 133 Lamu residents taking the dispute to Kenya’s High Court. The petitioners have sought to halt construction, citing environmental concerns. A court hearing is scheduled for the second week of October, with all excavation and construction activities on the contested land restricted until then.
The protestors have also raised complaints over the land compensation package offered by the company. However, Dangote rejected claims that the project had failed to adequately compensate affected landowners.
The Lamu refinery project would become Kenya’s largest infrastructure investment since independence, surpassing the $5.1 billion Standard Gauge Railway.
