Kenya has officially broken ground for the construction of the multi-billion-dollar Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Mokowe, Lamu County, as regional leaders urged accelerated East African integration to drive continental industrialization.

Speaking during the ceremony, President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the development, noting that Africa is gradually moving away from decades of exporting raw materials instead of processing them locally.

Addressing regional energy infrastructure needs, Mr Museveni clarified that Kenya’s new mega-refinery would not conflict with Uganda’s own downstream ambitions or existing cross-border partnerships, adding that East African political integration must ultimately be treated as a matter of strategic survival.

Kenyan President William Ruto in a statement posted on his official X account described the project as a landmark moment for the region’s economic and energy independence. He explained that the facility extends beyond oil processing into a fully integrated industrial complex featuring a 1,000MW power plant, a plastics factory, and manufacturing units for fertilizers and chemicals.

According to President Ruto, the project is projected to boost Kenya’s economy by 12 per cent, generate 60,000 direct jobs, and attract $4 billion in foreign direct investment annually during its four-year construction phase. It is also expected to anchor the development of the Lamu Port South Sudan and Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor.