Deputy President Kithure Kindiki /HANDOUT
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that President William Ruto will lead the ground breaking ceremony of the construction of the East Africa Lamu Oil Refinery next week on Wednesday.
He said heads of state and government from the East African Region and beyond have been invited to the event.
Kindiki said the refinery will position Kenya and East Africa as a key petro-chemical industrial hub and a competitive energy logistics centre.
He spoke during the final preparation meeting at his official residence in Karen,
"The Lamu Refinery is a landmark project that will unlock the economy of Lamu and the Coast region, create more than 50,000 jobs and boost Kenya’s industrialisation quest," Kindiki said.
The proposed refinery will have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest refinery in East Africa once completed.
The project is expected to take up to three years to complete and will supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring countries, helping reduce the region’s dependence on imported fuel.
Lamu was selected as the site after Dangote Industries considered other locations in East Africa, including Tanzania.
Preliminary work, including site selection, soil testing and engineering and design, had already begun by July.
The refinery is expected to form part of a wider industrial development in Lamu, with plans for supporting energy, manufacturing, storage and logistics facilities.
President William Ruto’s administration has backed the project as a major investment in Kenya’s energy and industrial sectors.
Dangote has offered East African countries a combined 30 per cent stake in the refinery and associated project.
Kenya has been offered a 10 per cent stake valued at about Sh64.74 billion, equivalent to $500 million.
Rwanda and Ethiopia have also expressed interest in participating in the regional shareholding.
The government is also planning supporting infrastructure around the refinery, including a 1,000-megawatt power plant and a special economic zone intended to support manufacturing and other industries.
