Senator Edwin Sifuna Says Parliament Blocked Lamu Refinery Records Request

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has said that his formal request for all documents relating to the Dangote refinery project in Lamu was prevented from reaching the Senate floor by parliamentary gatekeepers.

The request, filed on October 2, 2026, carried a Senate receipt stamp dated 12.12pm and asked the Senate Standing Committee on Energy to compel the production of records on public participation, the financing and implementation model, a value-for-money analysis, and a complete list of beneficial owners and firms involved in the project.

Sifuna alleges that supporters of President William Ruto inside Parliament deliberately blocked the statement, describing them as “gatekeepers” who shield the government from scrutiny.

In a post on X on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, he wrote, “The reason Ruto speaks confidently in rallies telling us to use ‘formal channels’ to get documents held by the state is he knows his gatekeepers in parliament will never approve this business to make it to the floor,” and added, “This one on the Lamu Refinery has suffered the same fate. We must uproot this entire system in 2027 to rescue our country.”

The senator, who has launched a presidential campaign under the Linda Mwananchi Movement 2027 banner, frames the blocked request as proof of a systemic issue he intends to tackle in the upcoming general election.

The episode follows a public dispute between Sifuna and Dangote Group president Aliko Dangote, who warned critics that “we are not really scared about people taking us to court. Anybody who wants to cause trouble, who is ready for a struggle, I will give him a headache.” President Ruto has also accused Sifuna of working with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in an alleged attempt to extort Dangote, while other opposition figures have criticised the refinery.

The Senate record confirms receipt of the request on October 2 but does not provide an explanation for why it was not forwarded to the Senate floor.