President William Ruto has sent a strong message to anyone he believes is trying to frustrate the planned oil refinery in Lamu, which is to be built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote. He said the government will not allow the project to be derailed, whether by politicians or by businesspeople with their own interests.
The President spoke in Kilifi on Tuesday. His remarks came only a few days after a court in Malindi stopped any change on the land where the refinery is meant to be built. The case is now at the centre of a debate on whether big investments and the rights of ordinary villagers can move forward together.
The case was filed at the Malindi Environment and Land Court by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu county. They say the piece of land earmarked for the refinery is their ancestral home. According to them, their families have lived and farmed there for generations, and they are not ready to let go of it without being heard. They asked the court to protect the land while their complaint is looked into.
In an order dated September 25, the court directed that things on the land remain as they are, which is what lawyers call maintaining the status quo. The order will remain in force until October 14, 2026, when the application will be heard. That means that for now nobody should do anything on the land that changes its current condition.
Ruto did not take the ruling lightly. He told the crowd in Kilifi that he knows who is pushing the case. According to him, these are people who tried to buy shares in the refinery project but were turned away, and the court case is their way of fighting back. He did not name anybody, but his words left no doubt about who he had in mind.
The President said he would do everything within his power to make sure such people do not stop the project. He described it as a mega investment, valued at between Sh2.2 trillion and Sh2.9 trillion. To put that in perspective, this is money that could create jobs, bring in dollars and change how Kenya buys and sells fuel.
Ruto was in a fighting mood. He told those he accused that they "cannot defraud us all the time" and said share brokers had cost Kenya investors in the past. He then went back in time to explain what he meant, and this is where the speech got more interesting.
The President reminded Kenyans of Dangote's earlier attempt to invest in Kenya in 2013. Back then, the businessman wanted to set up a cement factory. The plan never took off. It stalled and was finally dropped. Ruto blamed the failure on red tape, demands for bribes and problems in getting limestone for the factory. He said Dangote was taken round in circles with one demand after another until he decided to take his money somewhere else.
Ruto did not stop with Kenya's own experience. He also spoke about Uganda. In 2014, Kampala planned to build a crude oil pipeline together with Kenya, passing through Kenyan territory to the coast. That plan was later abandoned, and Uganda chose a route through Tanzania instead.
The President claimed that the same kind of brokers, whom he called scammers, wasted Uganda's time until it gave up on Kenya. He warned that the same people now think they can frustrate Dangote again, and he ended his message with a firm line in Swahili, saying he is watching closely and will not allow it to happen here.
Just as the President was speaking, the Dangote Group issued its own statement about the court order. The company was calm in its tone. It said the ruling has not stopped the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, it admitted that some activities at the site may be affected, since both sides have been told not to do anything on the land until the case is heard on October 14.
That statement is important because it shows the company is reading the court order carefully. It is not saying the order does not matter. It is saying the ceremony can still go on, but that actual work on the ground may slow down or wait until the court makes its next move. For a project of this size, even a few weeks of delay can affect planning and contracts.
The Lamu refinery is meant to copy what Dangote did in Nigeria. There, he built a plant near Lagos that can process 700,000 barrels of crude oil every day. That refinery has been credited with helping change Nigeria's story from a country that depended on imported fuel to one that is now growing as an exporter. Kenyan leaders believe a similar plant in Lamu could do something close to that for East Africa.
Dangote has said he expects the Lamu project to cost between $15 billion and $16 billion. He hopes to finish it by 2030. If it goes according to plan, it would be one of the biggest private investments ever made in the region, and Lamu would become a major industrial hub.
But the story is not only about billions of shillings. For the 133 families from Chandavai, it is about land, identity and their way of life. In many parts of Kenya, especially along the Coast, land issues are sensitive and can be emotional. People who have lived on a piece of land for many years often feel that they have a right to be listened to before any big project starts. The court will have to weigh those claims against the government's push for development.
On the other side, supporters of the refinery will say the project brings hope. Thousands of jobs could be created during construction and after, local businesses could grow, and Kenya could gain more control over its fuel supply. Many will also ask why Kenya lost earlier investors and whether the country has learned from those mistakes.
For now, everything depends on what the Malindi court decides on October 14. Until then, the land stays as it is, and the eyes of many Kenyans, investors and politicians are on Lamu. Whatever the outcome, the case will likely show how Kenya handles the tricky balance between attracting big investors and protecting the rights of its own citizens.
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