The Sh2trn Dangote refinery and the 12,000-acre land question

The groundbreaking of the Sh2 trillion Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals may have marked the start of construction, but also brought contentious questions into focus: how much Kenyan land is being committed to the project? Who has a claim to it? What will the country get in return?

President William Ruto says the government has identified 9,000 acres in Lamu County for the project and is seeking another 3,000 as the development expands to include a refinery, a special economic zone (SEZ) and a “new big city”.