Ruto: Why Sh2 trillion Dangote refinery is good for Kenya
President William Ruto and Dangote Group President and CEO Aliko Dangote during a tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria on September 25, 2026.
What you need to know:
- The proposed refinery which is backed by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, has drawn praise and criticism in equal measure.
- President Ruto said the government will use the National Infrastructure Fund to support further expansion of the Port of Mombasa.
President William Ruto has urged leaders and the public to put aside their political differences and instead focus of how to develop the country.
Speaking in Kwale County during issuance of title deeds, the president drummed up support for the Sh2 trillion East African Refinery in Lamu whose construction he is scheduled to commission on Wednesday.
The proposed refinery which is backed by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, has drawn praise and criticism in equal measure. A section of residents in Lamu consider it as an opportunity to develop the region, while others are cautious about it especially regarding land rights and environmental conservation matters.
Dr Ruto reiterated that the refinery would create 60,000 jobs and serve the wider East African region, in addition to the Lamu Port which has witnessed increased traffic this year.
“The refinery which will be built in Lamu will provide an investment opportunity worth Sh2 trillion, create employment opportunities for 60,000 young people, bring in foreign exchange and save us money that we currently spend importing fuel from far away,” he said.
The president added that the government will use the National Infrastructure Fund to support further expansion of the Port of Mombasa. He vowed that the Coast region would no longer be left behind in development, adding that the Indian Ocean remained an underutilised resource.
“That is why Cabinet Secretaries Mr Hassan Joho and his counterpart Mr Salim Mvurya are leading efforts to ensure our ocean creates employment opportunities for young people, provides food and supports trade. That is why we have allocated Sh15 billion to the blue economy programme,” he said.
He announced that he would return to the region in November to hand over the Sh2.7 billion Shimoni Port to an operator, adding that local youth would benefit from employment opportunities as the government develops the blue economy.
“We must unite, put aside our political differences and put Kenya first while focusing on how to bring development across this region. This region must be prioritised and the residents feel like they are part of this country,” he said.
President William Ruto and Dangote Group President and CEO Aliko Dangote during a tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria on September 25, 2026.
During the event in Kibaoni, Lunga Lunga, Dr Ruto vowed to resolve longstanding land ownership problems in the region. He said land disputes had contributed to poverty, conflict, evictions and displacement in the region for decades.
According to the president, his administration had made resolving the land question a priority, including issuing title deeds and buying land from absentee landlords.
“During campaigns in 2022, I pledged that I would offer a solution to the land question in this region. Land issues brought poverty, squatters, fighting, evictions, deaths. That is why I promised to put an end to it,” he said.
He said his administration was targeting the issuance of about 500,000 title deeds across the Coast region by December. A total of 192,166 title deeds will be issued during his development tour of the region this week, covering Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties.
Dr Ruto said 300 land officers had been deployed to accelerate surveying and processing of the documents, while the government had set aside Sh10 billion to support the exercise and compensate absentee landlords.
“No one should ask you for a shilling, the title deeds are ready. A promise is a pledge; I had promised to end this challenge and here I am with the solution,” he said.
Among those benefiting are members of the Pemba community who were recently granted Kenyan citizenship.
Dr Ruto also accused his predecessor, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, of being jealous of his political growth, saying his administration had promoted equitable distribution of resources.
“I know there are people who are angry about how we are undertaking politics and equitable distribution of resources in the country. That is why they are sponsoring other politicians whose brains have been rented. They don’t even know why they are opposing me,” he said.
“But I want to tell them: come what may, whatever happens, we will stand firm and ensure equity among Kenyans. No region will be left behind in terms of development,” he added.
Dr Ruto said his administration would “bury the politics of hatred, division, ethnicity and discrimination” in the 2027 General Election, and accused unnamed political opponents of opposing affordable housing, the Social Health Authority and road infrastructure.
He said his administration had spent Sh1.2 billion on health services through SHA over the past 18 months. Dr Ruto also highlighted infrastructure and blue economy projects as part of his Coast development agenda.
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