Kenyan Parliamentary Delegation Visits Dangote Refinery as Lamu Project Advances

A Kenyan parliamentary team led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah travelled to the Dangote Petroleum Industries complex in Lagos on Monday, October 12, 2026, as the country moves forward with the Lamu integrated petroleum project.

The group, which also comprised Minority Leader Junet Mohammed and six other senior members of the House, inspected the refinery, the associated fertiliser plant, the private port and the petrochemical installations.

Ichung’wah explained that the tour was meant to give lawmakers a clear picture of the scale of investment envisioned for Kenya and said the Lamu venture “will redefine the destiny of our nation, transforming our country’s economy and that of the greater East African region.”

The Lamu facility is estimated at roughly KSh2.08 trillion and is planned to handle 700,000 barrels of crude each day, supported by a power plant of about 1,000 megawatts and units for fertiliser, chemicals and polypropylene production. Groundbreaking took place in late September 2026, with an anticipated construction period of around 40 months, putting completion in early 2030. Officials anticipate roughly 60,000 jobs will be created across construction and operation phases, and regional governments have been offered equity stakes while crude supplies are expected from Kenya, neighbouring states and international markets.

By comparison, the Nigerian complex has a design capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and is currently operating at 700,000 barrels, producing petrol, diesel, jet fuel and various petrochemicals. Dangote has outlined a plan to raise the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029.

The visit coincides with a Kenyan investor offer linked to the Dangote refinery on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The exchange reduced the minimum subscription for Global Depository Receipts to ten units at KSh53.50 each, lowering the entry amount to KSh535. The offer, valued at KSh39 billion, covers up to 728,971,962 GDRs, each representing one ordinary share, and will close on October 13, 2026. The Capital Markets Authority has approved the public offer for the exchange’s Main Investment Market Segment, pending final regulatory clearance in Nigeria. Investors with a Central Depository and Settlement Corporation account may apply via the online portal or by dialing *483250#, with payments to be made in Kenyan shillings.

Proponents of the Lamu project argue that the new complex will boost domestic refining capacity and lessen Kenya’s reliance on imported petroleum products following the shutdown of the Mombasa refinery, although financing, construction logistics and regulatory approvals remain key challenges as work proceeds.