More than 130 residents of Magogoni and Chandavai in Lamu County have moved to court seeking to halt the planned groundbreaking of the KSh 2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery, scheduled for September 30, 2026. The case, filed at the Malindi Environment and Lands Court, names several government agencies and Dangote Industries as defendants. The petitioners, represented by lawyer George Wakahiu, are seeking an injunction to stop construction and excavation until their compensation claims are resolved.
The residents claim they have occupied the disputed land for generations, farming, grazing livestock, and building homes, mosques, and shrines on land comprised in LR No. 13061 in Chandavai. Although they lack formal title deeds, they base their ownership claim on long-standing occupation, customary tenure, and community use. They allege that government officers and LAPSSET agents entered the land with bulldozers and heavy machinery on August 7, 2024, destroying crops, trees, and property without prior notice or compensation.
The land dispute around the Dangote refinery has been ongoing, with local administrators reportedly telling residents that the land had earlier been acquired for the LAPSSET project and subsequently allocated to the Ministry of Defence for infrastructure works near Manda Bay. The residents further allege that preparatory work linked to the refinery, including soil testing, began in July 2026. On September 10, 2026, police officers, chiefs, and government agents cleared sections of the disputed parcel in preparation for the groundbreaking ceremony.
Following the court filing, a section of the affected families staged demonstrations in Malindi town, calling on the government to prioritise compensation before the project moves forward. Despite the legal challenge, several residents expressed clear support for the refinery, with one resident stating that the project would bring significant benefits to the community. Another resident raised concerns about the Barguan Holding Ground, a livestock facility dating to the colonial era, which they said is threatened by the planned livestock corridor associated with the project.
The Dangote East Africa Refinery is planned as a 700,000-barrel-per-day facility and petrochemical complex on LAPSSET land in Lamu, backed by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote and the Africa Finance Corporation, with an estimated cost of between $16 billion (KSh 2 trillion) and $17 billion (KSh 2.2 trillion). President William Ruto is expected to lead the groundbreaking ceremony alongside Dangote on September 30.
The Port of Lamu has already received 2,930 metric tonnes of construction machinery, arriving aboard the vessel MV Da Yang. The vessel’s arrival came ahead of the refinery’s planned groundbreaking ceremony, which is expected to mark the start of construction of the KSh 2.2 trillion project. The refinery is expected to process crude oil from Turkana and other parts of East and Southern Africa before supplying refined petroleum products to regional markets.
Dangote has also proposed selling 500MW of electricity from a planned 1,000MW power plant to Kenya Power, although issues including pricing, gas supply, financing, and environmental approvals remain unresolved. The project has sparked mixed reactions from the local community, with some residents supporting the project and others opposing it due to concerns over compensation and environmental impact.
Key points
- The court case filed by Lamu residents seeks to halt the construction of the KSh 2 trillion Dangote refinery project.
- The residents claim they were not consulted or compensated for the land, which they have occupied for generations.
- The Dangote East Africa Refinery is expected to process crude oil from Turkana and other parts of East and Southern Africa.
