Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote’s $16 billion oil refinery in Kenya faces another legal challenge, this time from a consumer-rights group alleging that key details about the project have not been made public.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) filed a petition with the Public Private Partnerships Petition Committee, COFEK Secretary General Stephen Mutoro said in a post on X.
It is the second legal hurdle for the 700,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery, after more than 130 residents filed a lawsuit, saying the land in Lamu — where the plant is being built — is their ancestral heritage. A hearing on the case is due on October 14.
COFEK wants any non-compliant approvals set aside for the refinery and reconsidered.
It wants details about the government’s plan to take a stake in the refinery to be disclosed, such as the acquisition vehicle, share class and payment terms and evidence that there was public participation, among other things.
A Dangote Group spokesperson declined to comment.
A Kenyan government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When he broke ground to start construction on Wednesday, Dangote shrugged off the land rights claim and expressed confidence the refinery would go ahead, saying: “Anybody who wants to cause trouble, we are ready.”
Dangote is looking to replicate his group’s 700,000 bpd refinery in Nigeria. He has offered regional governments a combined 30% stake in the Lamu refinery, which is scheduled to be completed in 2030.
