Dangote reacts to court arrangement stopping Kenyan refinery construction, says “we don’t care”

The Chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Aliko Dangote, has reacted to a Kenyan court sequence stopping construction activities at the proposed $17 billion East African refinery project in Lamu County, saying, “we don’t care, we are fixed for them.”

Dangote made the comments at a high-stage investor engagement organised for the Dangote refinery initial audience offering (IPO) using East African institutional investors at the Nairobi Securities Swap, Kenya.

The reaction follows an arrangement by the Malindi Environment and Land Court later than farmers and residents of Chandavai in Lamu County opposed the project, citing alleged “forceful eviction” and destruction of their properties.

Dangote reacts to Kenya court arrangement

Dangote said court challenges and other disputes were not unusual for sizeable projects in Africa, noting that the most recent case was bottom than challenges the unit had faced in other countries.

• “Yesterday as I was landing here at night, I continually experiment to exchange off my Wi-Fi on my plane, so that I’ll be able to rest. I don’t prefer to be disturbed. But immediately when I available my phone, they express, oh yeah, you understand, by Bloomberg. In detail, this is even modest. We recognize who are the individuals doing all these things, so we’ll address them,” he said.

Dangote said the enterprise was knowledgeable of those behind the developments and was supplied to resolve the issues surrounding the project.

His comments come as the court case remains earlier than the Kenyan judiciary, including extra directions expected as the dispute over the refinery site continues.

Lamu refinery faces land dispute

The Malindi Environment and Land Court suspended construction of the proposed Dangote Refinery in Lamu County once 133 residents of Chandavai filed a case challenging the project.

The residents allege that the land earmarked for the refinery forms element of their ancestral heritage and has been occupied and farmed by their families for generations.

According to reports, the court is expected to propose extra directions on the case on October 14, following the command issued on September 25.

• The Dangote Category had earlier maintained that the Kenyan court ruling over the land rights dispute would not halt the groundbreaking ceremony for the planned 700,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery.
• The firm said some activities at the site could, yet, be affected by the command.
• “The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage,” Dangote Group said in a mention.

The collection said the command requires both parties to refrain from activities at the site before the case is heard, whereas maintaining that the planned groundbreaking could continue.

Kenya prepares for refinery groundbreaking

Nairametrics reported days ago that the Kenyan government had finalised preparations for the September 30, 2026 introduce of the East Africa Oil Refinery project in Lamu, together with President William Ruto expected to leader the groundbreaking ceremony.

The ceremony is expected to bring together Heads of Situation and Government from East Africa and beyond, alongside members of the community community, as authorities finished arrangements for security, logistics and protocol.

• Kenya’s Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, said authorities were putting final measures in place to secure the September 30 event runs smoothly.
• Kindiki described the project as key to Kenya and the wider region.
• The refinery is expected to establish a sizeable-scale energy and industrial hub on Kenya’s coast.
• The project is moreover expected to improve Kenya’s crude oil processing capacity and guide connected economic activities.

The current court case adds a legal dimension to preparations for the refinery project, whereas Dangote’s comments indicate that the category intends to carry on addressing the issues surrounding the development.

In Senegal, it’s not even court. I’m sure some of you must have seen it.”