Dangote Lamu Refinery: Senate asked to reveal Kenya's stake, land deal and beneficial owners

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has asked the Senate to compel the government to disclose details of the proposed Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Lamu.

This comes days after President William Ruto and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote officially broke ground on the Sh2 trillion-plus project.

In a request for a statement dated October 2, 2026, Sifuna wants the Senate Standing Committee on Energy to produce records relating to the project’s approval, financing, public participation, environmental impact, land arrangements and ownership.

The demand comes amid growing questions over Kenya’s proposed financial participation in the refinery and a separate court dispute involving residents who claim part of the land earmarked for the project is ancestral property.

Sifuna said major infrastructure and foreign investment should be undertaken within the law and in line with constitutional requirements on transparency, accountability, public participation and sustainable development.

He specifically wants the committee to require the production of all records relating to the refinery, citing Article 35(3) of the Constitution, and explain the public participation undertaken before the project was approved.

Dangote has offered East African governments a combined 30 per cent stake in the project.

Kenya has been considering a 10 per cent stake valued at about $500 million, equivalent to roughly Sh65 billion, while Rwanda and other regional countries have also expressed interest.

However, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said on September 29 that negotiations were still ongoing and Kenya could increase its stake if other countries did not take up their allocations.

President Ruto subsequently announced that the Kenyan government would participate in the refinery through the National Infrastructure Fund, while Dangote said the refinery would eventually be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Sifuna wants the Senate committee to establish exactly how much Kenyan taxpayers will contribute, where the money will come from and whether the investment represents value for money.

The questions have also been raised separately by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK), which has petitioned the Public Private Partnerships Petition Committee seeking records on the proposed equity stake, project approval, procurement route, feasibility studies, financial risks, public participation and government support arrangements.

The refinery's planned location has also become a major point of contention.

The facility is being developed within the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, with government officials previously describing the site as LAPSSET land.

However, 133 residents have challenged the development in the Environment and Land Court at Malindi, claiming rights over land identified as LR No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area.

On September 25, Justice Jane Onyango ordered parties to maintain the existing status quo on the disputed parcel and scheduled the matter for an inter partes hearing on October 14, 2026.

The court did not stop the September 30 groundbreaking, but the order preserves the position on the disputed land pending the hearing.

On his part, President Ruto has said the government has identified 9,000 acres for the project and is seeking another 3,000 acres as plans expand to include the refinery, a special economic zone and a new city.

Sifuna in his letter askied the Senate committee to establish the project's land arrangements alongside the financial and ownership structure.

The Dangote refinery is planned to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of Africa's largest planned refining facilities.

The approximately $16 billion project is expected to include refining and petrochemical facilities, power generation, storage, pipelines and marine infrastructure.

Commissioning is targeted for around 2030. The project is expected to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel to Kenya and regional markets, with crude potentially sourced from African producers and international markets.

Dangote has also partnered with Honeywell Technologies for engineering services, technology licensing and equipment for the refinery.

At the September 30 groundbreaking, the Kenyan government presented the refinery as a major industrial and energy-security investment, while Dangote said the project would create employment and skills opportunities, including an engineering training school in Lamu.

In addition, Sifuna wants the Senate to identify all beneficial owners of the overall project and companies involved in its implementation.

His request comes after other political and consumer groups questioned who ultimately owns the Kenyan company behind the refinery and what interests regional governments will acquire.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has separately demanded disclosure of the refinery's shareholders, saying Kenyans should know the individuals and entities holding interests in the Kenyan project.

The Senate Energy Committee is also being asked to provide a value-for-money analysis for any investment made on behalf of taxpayers and disclose the project's financing and implementation model.