Aliko Dangote dismisses Lamu refinery court dispute as ‘normal’ for African projects
Speaking at the Nairobi Securities Exchange during an investor engagement on the planned Initial Public Offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote said his group was prepared to deal with the dispute as it pushes ahead with the Kenyan project.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has downplayed a legal dispute surrounding the planned $17 billion Lamu refinery in Kenya, stating that such court challenges are a common occurrence for large projects across Africa. While speaking at an investor engagement on the planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Dangote Petroleum Refinery at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Dangote affirmed his company's readiness to navigate the dispute while pushing forward with the Kenyan project.
He emphasized that such challenges are minor, citing a previous case in Senegal where construction of a Dangote Cement plant was halted for a year before the company successfully challenged the decision at the Supreme Court. The current dispute centers around the 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery, which faces a land issue involving 133 residents of Chandavai.
The residents, who have occupied the disputed land for generations, have taken the matter to the Environment and Land Court in Malindi, seeking compensation and resettlement before the project's commencement. On September 25, Justice Jane Onyango ordered the parties to maintain the status quo until October 14, when an inter partes hearing is scheduled.
Despite the legal challenge, Dangote remains committed to the investment, as the group aims to replicate its successful Nigerian refining model in East Africa.
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