Dangote Industries Limited has chosen Kenya as the location for its proposed East African oil refinery, a project valued at approximately $17 billion (KSh2.2 trillion). This decision comes after the project was initially planned for Tanzania's Tanga Port. The shift to Kenya is attributed to better infrastructure, stronger market demand, and more favorable maritime logistics.
The refinery, which is expected to cost between $15 billion and $17 billion, will likely be built in either Mombasa or Lamu. Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest businessman, expressed a preference for Mombasa due to its larger and deeper port infrastructure, and Kenya's bigger economy and higher consumption of refined products. The facility is projected to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
This project aims to supply refined fuel to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and other East African markets, thereby reducing the region’s dependence on imported petroleum products and strengthening energy security. The announcement was made by Dangote Industries’ Group Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, confirming the Kenyan plant as part of the company's broader Africa expansion strategy. While Kenyan President William Ruto had initially hoped for a joint regional project, Dangote's focus is now solely on Kenya.
