Kenyan Court Freezes Dangote Refinery Site Work Ahead of October 14 Hearing
A Kenyan court has issued an interim order stopping work at the site of the planned Dangote Refinery in Lamu County, following a lawsuit filed by farmers and residents of Chandavai who claim they were forcibly removed and their property destroyed.
The Malindi Environment and Land Court, through Justice Jane Onyango, directed that the existing situation be preserved until the case is heard further. The ruling was delivered on September 25 and released publicly on Monday, with the next court guidance scheduled for October 14.
George Wakahiu, a lawyer for the petitioners, told Bloomberg that the directive effectively bars any construction from starting before the October 14 hearing.
In their suit, the residents allege that the refinery project led to their forced displacement, damage to their belongings, and the absence of any plan to resettle them. They further claim that Dangote and Kenyan officials did not follow the country's environmental regulations, which require a compulsory environmental impact assessment before any large-scale project can begin. The court documents also state that the project did not satisfy constitutional provisions for public participation.
Dangote Group, however, maintains that the court order does not stop the groundbreaking ceremony. In a statement carried by Reuters on Tuesday, the company said work at the site could still be impacted while the parties await the October 14 hearing.
"The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, activities at the site may be affected by the ruling, as both parties are required not to carry out activities until the case is heard on 14th October," the statement said.
The clarification came just days before the scheduled September 30 groundbreaking for the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu.
Earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto said his government was speeding up administrative procedures for the project. He spoke on Friday during a visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, ahead of the planned ceremony in Kenya.
Ruto said the land for the project had already been secured and that his administration was addressing other requirements to remove bureaucratic delays and ensure construction and operations proceed without holdups. He described the refinery as a regional venture that would boost industrial activity in East Africa, generate jobs, and enhance the technical skills of the region's workforce.
Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest individual, said the Kenyan plant would be larger than the existing Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria. The Lamu facility is designed to process 700,000 barrels per day.
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