A Kenyan court has lifted an earlier restriction on the event of Aliko Dangote’s proposed $16 billion oil refinery in Kenya, permitting the project to proceed regardless of an ongoing authorized dispute over land possession and environmental issues.
The determination was delivered on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, by High Court Judge Jane Onyango throughout proceedings in Malindi, the place residents had challenged the event of the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery within the Lamu archipelago.
The ruling comes two days after Kenyan parliamentary leaders expressed help for the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals project and pledged to again the corporate’s preliminary public providing (IPO), in accordance to an October 12 assertion by Dangote Group.
Court lifts restriction over land error
The authorized problem was initiated by 133 Kenyan residents who alleged that the proposed refinery threatened their property rights and that the builders had failed to display compliance with environmental rules.
The candidates argued that Kenyan regulation requires environmental impression assessments and public consultations earlier than main infrastructure initiatives can proceed, notably in delicate places equivalent to Lamu, which is dwelling to a UNESCO World Heritage website.
- During Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Onyango lifted the sooner restriction after figuring out an error within the land parcel referenced within the candidates’ petition.
- The decide defined that the petitioners had cited the mistaken parcel of land and granted them permission to amend their submitting to mirror the right property.
- The court subsequently adjourned the matter till November 24, 2026, when the amended petition can be heard, whereas permitting extra events to be part of the proceedings.
The variety of petitioners might enhance considerably, as lawyer George Wakahiu knowledgeable the court that roughly 700 extra Kenyan residents had indicated their intention to be part of the lawsuit.
Earlier court order restricted refinery actions
The Malindi Environment and Land Court had earlier issued an interim order on September 25, 2026, directing events concerned within the refinery’s land dispute to preserve the present circumstances on the contested property till a listening to scheduled for October 14.
Dangote Group, nevertheless, maintained that the court’s determination didn’t quantity to an entire suspension of the project and insisted that preparations would proceed throughout the limits of the directive.
- “The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage,” Dangote Group stated in a press release.
The firm acknowledged that sure actions on the project website may very well be affected by the restriction, however maintained that the refinery’s improvement plans remained in place.
Wednesday’s ruling follows the scheduled listening to and removes the sooner restriction after the court recognized the error within the land description contained within the petition.
Dangote targets 2030 refinery commissioning
The Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals project is a $16 billion funding designed to course of 700,000 barrels of crude oil every day, matching the capability of Dangote’s present refinery in Lagos, Nigeria.
Construction was formally launched on September 30, 2026, with the ability anticipated to be accomplished inside 40 months and commissioning focused for 2030.
Dangote has proposed providing East African international locations a mixed 30% fairness stake within the refinery, with Kenya and Rwanda expressing curiosity in collaborating.
- The Lagos refinery, which might be expanded to 1.4 million barrels per day, is already worthwhile.
- According to its nine-month monetary outcomes ended September 30, 2026, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE reported a web revenue of $4.73 billion, in contrast with a $117.2 million loss in the identical interval of 2025.
The firm’s income additionally greater than doubled to roughly $22.5 billion in the course of the interval, reflecting elevated refining exercise and stronger demand for petroleum merchandise.
