Dangote Blames Lamu Refinery Protests On Marketers, 10cs
Dangote Blames Lamu Refinery Protests On Marketers, IOCs
of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has blamed local petroleum marketers and international oil companies (IOCs) for protests surrounding his proposed $16 billion refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
Dangote spoke to the BBC's _Focus on Africa_ programme after he and Kenyan President William Ruto performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the refinery on Wednesday, despite a court order restricting construction activities over a land dispute.
The 700,000 barrels-per-day refinery, billed for completion in 2030, will be one of the largest in Africa and the biggest in East Africa. It is expected to become Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence, surpassing the $5.1 billion Standard Gauge Railway.
Dangote rejected claims that his company had acquired more land than required, saying the company was using only the portion allocated to it by the Kenyan government.
"They said some people are demonstrating; demonstrating about what? Have you ever seen people demonstrating against themselves in terms of development?" he queried.
He described the demonstrations as "games played by local marketers and international players" and maintained that they would not derail the project.
The project has faced opposition from 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who approached the Malindi Environment and Land Court challenging land acquisition and compensation. The court on September 25 ordered status quo, barring excavation and construction until October 14.
The groundbreaking, attended by leaders of Uganda, Ethiopia, Togo and Benin, still went ahead. Dangote has offered regional governments a combined 30 per cent stake in the refinery and described Lamu as his largest investment outside Nigeria.
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