Greenpeace Africa, an environmental organisation, has demanded the immediate halt to the approval process for the proposed Ksh2.2 trillion oil refinery in Lamu County over environmental concerns.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a statement on Tuesday, July 14, the organisation argues that the project poses significant environmental risks, warning that the project could cause irreversible environmental damage and undermine Kenya's transition to clean energy.

According to Greenpeace Africa, the government should not proceed with approvals until an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is completed, made public, and subjected to meaningful public participation.

"Greenpeace Africa is calling for an immediate halt to approvals until an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is completed, publicly released and subjected to meaningful public participation," the organisation stated in a statement.

📌 What You Need to Know

The statement comes days after Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote identified Lamu as the final site for the proposed refinery, following months of speculation over the location.

The proposed refinery is expected to be developed through a partnership involving the Kenyan government, Dangote Group, and other private investors, with the government announcing that it has set aside Ksh25 billion seed capital for the firm .

According to the government, the project will create up to 60,000 direct jobs and strengthen the country's energy sector, with the groundbreaking ceremony expected later in 2026.

However, Greenpeace Africa argued that the environmental and social costs of the project could outweigh its economic benefits.

"This project threatens to damage one of East Africa's most fragile coastal ecosystems while locking Kenya into a risky fossil fuel future," said Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner at the organisation.

The group has cited Lamu's mangrove forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds, ecosystems that support fisheries, tourism, coastal protection, and the livelihoods of thousands of residents, as being at risk of exploitation.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke