Ruto Backs Bold East Africa Oil Refinery Plan Backed by Aliko Dangote
President William Ruto announced on Tuesday that East African nations are shifting their strategy from exporting raw materials to regional industrialization, with a massive new oil refinery at the heart of the plan. Speaking during the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, the president championed a proposed project by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote as a “game-changer” for the region’s energy security.
Ruto revealed that he has already secured agreements with his counterparts from Uganda and Tanzania to pursue a single, large-scale regional refinery. This coordinated effort aims to end the recurring fuel shortages that have long plagued East Africa. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan are now exploring how to pool their resources to process crude oil locally rather than shipping it abroad for refining.
“We have made the decision that we are going to do this together. We are going to harness the synergies of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan, possibly working together, so that we can have one big refinery here,” Ruto stated.
The president framed the move as an essential step toward economic independence, arguing that the continent must stop acting as a mere supplier of raw goods to the rest of the world. By refining their own oil, these nations intend to fuel their own domestic growth and industrial sectors.
“In our region, we are thinking of how all the assets that we have, whether it is the oil that we have, we must use them to industrialise our countries. We cannot continue to export or to be exporters of raw materials,” Ruto said.
President Ruto stressed that East Africa must transition from a supplier of raw materials to a hub of local processing, a move he believes will create jobs and ignite economic growth. He framed this shift as part of a broader industrialization strategy that integrates the region’s vast opportunities in mining and renewable energy.
The president’s comments follow a high-profile proposal from Aliko Dangote to build a refinery in the Tanga region of Tanzania. During the Africa We Build Summit 2026 in Nairobi on April 23, Dangote personally challenged regional leaders to support his vision.
“I can give commitment to the two presidents who were here. If they will support the refinery, we’ll build an identical one to the one we have in Nigeria,” Dangote stated, referencing his massive $20 billion facility in Lagos.
This proposal arrived just as regional energy plans were gaining momentum. President Yoweri Museveni recently unveiled Uganda’s roadmap for a $4 billion refinery in Hoima City, while Ruto pledged that Kenya would invest up to Sh500 billion in the sector. Despite some media reports labeling Dangote’s project a “Uganda headache” that might conflict with Museveni’s domestic plans, Ruto dismissed any talk of friction.
“There was no headache, for heaven’s sake. There was no headache. How does three countries coming together to build one piece of infrastructure amount to a headache?” he posed.
The timing of these refinery discussions is critical for Kenya, as oil exploration in Turkana reaches a pivotal stage.
With over 560 million barrels of recoverable oil reserves discovered in the South Lokichar Basin, Gulf Energy, which recently took over operations from Tullow Oil, expects the first batch of Turkana oil to be ready for refinement or export by December 2026. This domestic supply would provide the essential feedstock for a regional refinery, finally allowing East Africa to process its own natural wealth.
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