Construction of the East Africa Refinery in Lamu is set to officially commence on Wednesday, with President William Ruto expected to lead the groundbreaking ceremony.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the President will be joined by invited heads of state and government from East Africa and beyond during the ceremony.
Speaking during a final preparations meeting at his official residence in Karen, Kindiki described the refinery as a major project for Kenya and the region.
“This is a very, very important project for our country and for the region. It is going to provide petrochemical refinery services and industrial operations for this region,” Kindiki said.
According to the Deputy President, the refinery will position Kenya and East Africa as a petroleum and chemical industrial hub while strengthening the region’s energy logistics capacity.
Kindiki said the project is also expected to reduce Kenya’s reliance on imported oil and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
“This project will reduce pressure on our foreign exchange because we spend a lot of money importing oil,” he said.
The refinery is expected to create more than 50,000 jobs, according to Kindiki, as the government seeks to boost economic activity in Lamu and the wider Coast region.
“This project will help us create jobs in the region of 50,000 jobs,” Kindiki said.
He added that the refinery will support Kenya’s emerging oil production industry, which the government expects to begin operating before the end of the year.
“We are also looking forward to this project supporting our own oil production industry, which we expect from the end of this year to start operating,” he said.
The government has described the Lamu refinery as a landmark project expected to unlock economic opportunities in Lamu and the wider Coast region while supporting Kenya’s industrialisation agenda.
The project is also expected to strengthen Lamu’s position as a key energy and logistics centre in the region.
