The planned groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, is set to proceed on September 30, despite an ongoing court dispute over part of the land earmarked for the project. The Malindi Environment and Land Court has directed parties in the dispute to maintain the existing status quo on the contested parcel until October 14. This interim order does not expressly stop the September 30 groundbreaking ceremony.
The dispute involves Land Reference (LR) No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda/Magogoni area of Lamu County, where 133 residents are challenging aspects of the acquisition and development process. The residents claim they have occupied and cultivated the land for years but were excluded from the acquisition, compensation, and resettlement process. Although they do not hold title deeds to the disputed parcel, they are seeking recognition of their claims based on their longstanding occupation and use of the land.
Lawyer Hesbon Omollo, representing the residents, stated that his interpretation of the court order was that it did not necessarily prevent the planned ceremony. However, the parties would still have to return to court to argue their respective positions. The court order requires the parties to maintain the status quo on the disputed land, but it does not explicitly halt the groundbreaking ceremony.
The case was filed by 133 farmers and other occupiers of LR No. 13061, who had asked the court to stop the planned groundbreaking ceremony and other activities associated with the commencement of the refinery project. They also sought orders stopping further clearing, excavation, fencing, and construction on the disputed land. On September 25, Justice Jane Onyango declined to certify the application as urgent and directed the respondents to file their responses within 14 days of being served.
The proposed Lamu oil refinery, backed by Dangote Group, is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily. President William Ruto is expected to lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed refinery on September 30. The facility has been presented as a major investment in Kenya's petroleum and industrial sectors, with the government highlighting its potential to create jobs, expand petroleum processing, and strengthen Kenya's position in the regional energy market.
The refinery is also expected to form part of wider plans to develop Lamu as an industrial and logistics hub, leveraging the county's location and the wider LAPSSET corridor. Dangote Group has confirmed that the planned ceremony will proceed, while acknowledging that the court order could affect activities at the site. The company stated that the ruling would not prevent the official launch but could affect some ongoing or future activities connected to the site.
The court dispute has created uncertainty over activities at the site, but a distinction has emerged between holding the official ceremony and carrying out construction activities on the contested land. The residents' claims have not been finally determined by the court, and the requirement to preserve the existing status of the disputed land remains in force. The matter is scheduled for hearing on October 14.
Key points
- The Lamu oil refinery groundbreaking ceremony will proceed despite a court dispute over the land.
- The court has directed parties to maintain the status quo on the disputed land until October 14.
- The proposed refinery has a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
