Billionaire Aliko Dangote has added Lamu to the list of possible locations for a planned oil refinery in East Africa. The project would replicate his 650,000-barrel-a-day facility in Nigeria. Kenya's President William Ruto will make the final decision on the site.
Lamu joins Mombasa as a Kenyan option under review for the refinery. The two sites lie within a 370-kilometre stretch of the Indian Ocean coast. Lamu holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
Dangote initially proposed Tanga in Tanzania when the plan was announced in April. In a May 10 interview he expressed a preference for Mombasa due to its larger port and deeper access for ships. Kenya also consumes more refined products than Tanzania.
The billionaire met Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu in Dar es Salaam on May 16. He reaffirmed his commitment to invest in Tanzania regardless of the final location. The project is expected to cost between Ksh1.95 trillion and Ksh2.21 trillion and would serve markets across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda continues separate plans for a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Hoima that has been under development for more than ten years.