President William Ruto has led African leaders in breaking ground for the Dangote East Africa Petroleum and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone in Mokowe, Lamu County, in a major push to position Kenya as a regional industrial and logistics hub.
The project, launched under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation,” is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day, with the wider petrochemical complex expected to attract investment across energy, manufacturing, transport, logistics and related industries.
The development is projected to create up to 60,000 direct and indirect jobs, with young people from Lamu, neighbouring counties and across Kenya expected to benefit from training and employment opportunities.
Ruto said the investment goes beyond refining crude oil, describing it as a catalyst for energy security, industrialisation, regional integration and greater African control over the value generated from the continent’s natural resources.
“Africa does not lack resources. We do not lack talent. We do not lack enterprise. We do not lack markets,” President Ruto said, noting that the continent must build the capacity to produce, process, finance and trade in ways that create greater value for its people.
The President said the project would strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional investment and logistics hub while opening opportunities for jobs, skills development, local businesses and manufacturing.
“This is bigger than a refinery. It is an investment in energy security, industrialisation, and regional integration,” he said.
Ruto also used the launch to renew the case for African value addition, arguing that the continent cannot continue exporting raw materials only to import finished products.
“Crude oil leaves; refined products return. Cotton leaves; garments return. Cocoa leaves; chocolate returns,” he said.
The project is expected to reinforce the strategic role of the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, linking Kenya’s coast with the country’s interior and neighbouring markets.
Ruto said infrastructure alone would not deliver the economic transformation envisioned for the region without industries and businesses capable of using it.
“But a corridor without commerce is just a road. A port without industry is just a harbour,” he said. “This investment gives both the road and the port a reason to grow.”
The refinery is expected to become an anchor for an emerging industrial ecosystem, creating opportunities for transporters, engineers, contractors, service providers and manufacturers.
Dangote Industries President and Chief Executive Aliko Dangote said the investment marked a new phase in Africa’s industrial development, built around cooperation between governments, institutions and private enterprise.
“Africa cannot build lasting prosperity by exporting what it has and importing what it needs,” Dangote said, pledging to commission the refinery within 40 months.
The facility is expected to serve Kenya and the wider Eastern African region while supporting expansion in transport, engineering, construction, services, petrochemicals and manufacturing.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said the investment could help deepen regional connectivity, trade and shared prosperity.
“Peace is the foundation of economic development. In turn, connectivity, trade and shared prosperity will help secure lasting peace and stability across our region,” said the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Mudavadi also called for stronger African ownership of the continent’s industrial transformation.
“We are united by one conviction: Africa must industrialize Africa,” he said.
The Dangote investment, combined with Lamu Port and the wider LAPSSET network, is expected to strengthen Lamu’s role as a gateway linking Kenya to regional and continental markets.
The development also aligns with the broader ambitions of Agenda 2063 for an integrated and industrialised Africa.
Beyond the refinery and petrochemical complex, the investment is expected to stimulate further development in Lamu, including plans for a new mainland town, expanded water infrastructure and housing to accommodate workers, families and businesses drawn to the emerging industrial zone.
Lamu’s economic transformation will unfold alongside one of Kenya’s most distinctive cultural landscapes. Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflects centuries of Swahili heritage and the county’s historic role in Indian Ocean trade and cultural exchange.
The groundbreaking therefore marks more than the start of a refinery project: it places Lamu at the centre of an industrialisation push linking energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and regional trade.
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