KENYA: Dangote Eyes Mombasa for Multi-Billion Dollar Oil Refinery Project
Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has said he is considering building a massive oil refinery in Mombasa, a move that could transform Kenya into a major energy hub for East Africa.
According to reports, Dangote is planning a 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery similar to the giant Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Nigeria. The proposed investment is estimated to cost between $15 billion and $17 billion (approximately KSh 1.9 trillion to KSh 2.2 trillion).
Speaking during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi, Dangote said he was ready to replicate the Nigerian refinery model in East Africa if regional governments supported the initiative. Reuters reported that Dangote told delegates: “My commitment today here is that if we agree with the governments here about the refinery, we will lead and make sure that refinery is built within the next four or five years.”
The billionaire businessman later revealed that he is now leaning towards Mombasa instead of Tanzania’s Tanga port because of Kenya’s stronger market and strategic port infrastructure.
“I’m leaning more towards Mombasa because Mombasa has a much larger, deeper port,” Dangote told the Financial Times. He added that “Kenyans consume more. It’s a bigger economy.”
Dangote further indicated that the project would depend heavily on support from the Kenyan government and President William Ruto. “The ball is in the hands of President Ruto,” he said.
The proposed refinery comes at a time when East African countries are seeking ways to reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products from the Middle East. Leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been discussing the possibility of a regional refinery project to shield the region from global fuel supply disruptions and price shocks.
Analysts say a refinery in Mombasa could significantly boost Kenya’s economy through job creation, increased fuel security, expansion of the port sector, and growth in manufacturing and logistics. The investment would also position Kenya as a regional petroleum processing and export hub.
If approved, the project would rank among the largest private investments ever undertaken in East Africa and further strengthen Mombasa’s role as one of Africa’s most strategic ports.
Mombasa already has a long history in petroleum refining, having hosted the former Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) facility in Changamwe for decades. The refinery, which was established in 1960, played a critical role in supplying fuel to Kenya and the wider East African region before it ceased refining operations in 2013 due to aging infrastructure and increasing operational costs. Located strategically near the Port of Mombasa, the Changamwe refinery helped position the coastal city as a major energy and logistics hub for the region. Analysts believe Dangote’s proposed investment could revive Mombasa’s legacy as a refining powerhouse while taking advantage of existing petroleum infrastructure, storage facilities, pipeline connections, and the city’s established role in regional fuel distribution.
