List of African Leaders in Lamu for Dangote’s Ksh2.2T Refinery Groundbreaking
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Mokowe in Lamu County has drawn a high-powered gathering of African leaders, senior government officials and business figures as construction begins on the Ksh2.2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery.
President William Ruto is presiding over Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony alongside Dangote Group President and CEO Aliko Dangote, with the project expected to give Kenya a major refining facility capable of processing 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
The event has brought together leaders from several African countries as Dangote moves to establish a major refining operation outside Nigeria, with the Lamu facility expected to supply petroleum products to Kenya and neighboring markets.
African Leaders Join Ruto at Lamu Groundbreaking
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are among the high-profile leaders attending the ceremony, alongside Togo’s President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové.
Benin President Romuald Wadagni has also joined the gathering, bringing several African heads of state and government to Mokowe for the start of the multibillion-shilling project.
Also Read: Profile of Aliko Dangote: Early Life, Family, Education, Career and Net Worth
Former Nigerian Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo is among the notable guests, while Dangote is attending as his group begins construction of the refinery.
Kenya’s senior leadership is also represented by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The gathering comes as Dangote seeks to develop a refinery that can serve a wider East and Central African market, with the project expected to be completed around 2030 and could play a role in reducing the region’s reliance on imported refined fuel.
Regional Governments Send Representatives
Beyond the presidents and heads of government attending in person, several other countries have sent senior officials to represent them at the Lamu ceremony.
Burundi is represented by Minister for Mineral Resources, Energy and Industry Hassan Bea, while South Sudan has sent Abu Daniel Chow as head of its delegation.
Rwanda’s Minister for Trade Antoine Marie and Tanzania’s Deputy Minister Salome Wikliff Makamba are also attending on behalf of their respective governments.
Their presence expands the regional representation at an event centered on a refinery designed to supply several markets beyond Kenya.
Dangote has also offered governments in the region a combined 30 per cent stake in the project, giving the groundbreaking a wider regional investment dimension.
With leaders and senior officials from across the region gathered in Mokowe, attention is now on Dangote’s latest major refining venture and its planned role in East Africa’s energy market.
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President William Ruto and Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote during the groundbreaking for the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu County on September 30, 2026. PHOTO/ PCS
