Dangote reveals why Ksh.2 trillion oil refinery was moved from Tanga to Lamu

Businessman Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has explained how the idea for the Ksh.2 trillion refinery planned for Lamu came about, saying discussions on the project began during a meeting in Nairobi before the group settled on the Kenyan coastal town.

A screengrab of Dangote Group Chairman Aliko Dangote during an interview with Citizen TV on September 29, 2026.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Dangote said the discussions took place in April, with the group initially considering Tanga in Tanzania as the preferred location because of the planned pipeline connecting Uganda to the Tanzanian port.

He said the initial discussions followed an invitation by the Managing Director of the African Finance Corporation to attend a conference in Nairobi, where President William Ruto also wanted to meet him to discuss the supply of fertilizer on the sidelines of the meeting.

Source: Citizen Digital