Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi told reporters at the Lamu refinery groundbreaking ceremony at Manda Airport that construction will commence immediately following the event.

Wandayi said the government and stakeholders will activate all required systems and processes to avoid unnecessary delays as the project moves from the ceremonial stage to active construction.

The refinery, budgeted at Sh2.23 trillion, is projected to take three to five years to complete once construction is underway.

According to Wandayi, the facility will process up to 700,000 barrels of crude daily, positioning it among Kenya’s largest industrial investments.

The project is expected to lower fuel prices by reducing transportation costs, with the cabinet secretary noting that fuel stability and cheaper prices will follow completion.

President William Ruto has linked the refinery to fuel security, industrialisation and the creation of roughly 60,000 jobs, while Dangote has described it as a gateway for further investment in Kenya.

Preparations are already underway in Lamu; the Port of Lamu received the MV Da Yang on 26 September carrying about 2,930 metric tonnes of heavy construction equipment for the project.

The refinery will serve Kenya and regional markets, supplying refined petroleum products to Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Wandayi emphasized that the Lamu project is part of broader plans to develop the county as an energy, logistics and investment hub linked to the LAPSSET corridor.