President William Ruto is set to engage Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote in New York as Kenya seeks to advance the planned Ksh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) Lamu oil refinery during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Breaking It Down In a statement by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, the President departed for New York on Saturday, September 19, for the global assembly, where he will seek investment partnerships across k
09/20/26 • 20
President William Ruto is set to engage Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote in New York as Kenya seeks to advance the planned Ksh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) Lamu oil refinery during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
🇰🇪 Breaking It Down
In a statement by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, the President departed for New York on Saturday, September 19, for the global assembly, where he will seek investment partnerships across key sectors, including energy and infrastructure.
According to the statement, Ruto will use his engagements with global investors, financial institutions and other world leaders to advance Kenya’s investment agenda, with the Lamu refinery among the key projects expected to feature in his discussions.
The President will co-chair investment roundtables hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) alongside Dangote, where the planned refinery will be a key focus.
📌 What You Need to Know
The Ksh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) project is planned to have a capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is expected to create more than 60,000 jobs, according to State House.
The refinery is scheduled to break ground on September 30, 2026.
The government says the refinery is expected to create more than 60,000 jobs, strengthen regional energy security and expand Kenya's role in the East African energy and industrial market.
"The meeting will focus on the planned Ksh2.2 trillion ($17 billion) East Africa Refinery in Lamu, a 700,000-barrel-a-day project expected to create more than 60,000 jobs and strengthen regional energy security. The project is set to break ground on September 30 , 2026," Hussein confirmed.
The Head of State will also use the platform to advance Kenya’s investment drive , unlock more African and global capital, and strengthen Africa’s role in shaping the global digital and AI economy.
He will seek partnerships across key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, health, agriculture, and technology, to create jobs, expand productive capacity, and open new markets for Kenya.
📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke
