President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi have held talks with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote in New York as Kenya steps up preparations for the planned East Africa Refinery in Lamu.
Mudavadi said the discussions with Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries, focused on financing and final preparations for the multibillion-shilling refinery project.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly as the Kenyan government seeks to advance investment partnerships around the proposed energy and industrial project.
Mudavadi said the government was focused on ensuring that major investments translate into tangible economic opportunities for Kenyans.
“Big investment must translate into real opportunities for our people,” Mudavadi said.
He said the Lamu refinery is expected to create thousands of jobs, expand opportunities for young Kenyans and strengthen Kenya’s position as an industrial and investment hub in the region.
The project is also expected to contribute to regional energy security by expanding East Africa’s refining capacity.
Mudavadi said the government’s priority was to turn the refinery proposal from an investment ambition into a project capable of generating employment and wider economic opportunities.
He said the government was working to attract capital and build industries that would strengthen the Kenyan economy over the long term.
The comments come as leaders from Lamu have called for local residents, particularly young people, to be prioritised in employment and business opportunities arising from the proposed refinery.
The proposed refinery has been described as a major industrial investment, with reports putting its projected cost at about KSh2.2 trillion.
The talks with Dangote form part of President Ruto’s broader investment engagements during his New York visit, where the government is seeking partnerships in areas including energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture and technology.
Ruto’s programme at the UN General Assembly has included engagements with international investors and business leaders as Kenya seeks to attract capital and expand productive capacity.
The Lamu refinery would add to Kenya’s wider plans to strengthen its energy infrastructure and industrial base while positioning the country as a regional production and investment centre.
Mudavadi said Kenya’s focus would remain on securing financing and advancing the preparations required to turn the proposed refinery into a functioning industrial project.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that large-scale investment delivers jobs, businesses and economic opportunities for Kenyans while strengthening the country’s role in the regional economy.