President William Ruto officially broke ground on the Dangote Group’s Sh2 trillion oil refinery in Lamu on Thursday, following confirmation from Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi that the ceremony would go ahead as planned.

Wandayi said the launch marks the formal start of construction for one of Africa’s largest planned refining investments, with the ceremony proceeding despite a court‑ordered status‑quo on disputed land parcels.

The project’s land dispute involves Salim Tima Swale and 132 other residents who have challenged activities on portions of the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area, seeking a halt until the case is heard on October 14.

Police deployed tear‑gas as protesters demanded compensation for land their families have cultivated for generations, while the opposition has taken the matter to court.

The refinery is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude per day, producing over 100 million litres of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel daily, and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Aliko Dangote indicated the plant will source crude from across East Africa, including Kenya’s Turkana oilfields, and supplement supplies with imports via Lamu’s port, positioning the facility as a regional petroleum hub.

Once operational, the refinery is projected to supply refined fuels to Kenya and neighboring markets such as Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

President Ruto estimates the project will generate about 60,000 jobs and includes a 1,000‑megawatt power plant, with roughly half of the electricity earmarked for sale to the Kenyan government.