By Victoria Kitina
County Commissioner Stephen Sangolo has confirmed that preparations are in high gear for the groundbreaking ceremony of the $15 billion Dangote Oil Refinery, slated for September 30, in what is expected to be one of the largest diplomatic and industrial gatherings the county has ever hosted.
Speaking during a Lamu County heads of department technical meeting attended by elected leaders and officials from both the national and county governments, Sangolo said the security and logistical machinery is already in motion to accommodate an unprecedented guest list.
“We are expecting as many as 14 heads of state to grace this milestone, alongside roughly 2,000 attendees who will undergo vetting before the ceremony,” Sangolo said, describing the event as a defining moment for Lamu’s development trajectory.
The refinery, to be constructed on LAPSSET land within the Magogoni area, is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, a scale comparable to, and potentially exceeding,
Dangote’s flagship Lekki refinery in Nigeria, which processes 650,000 barrels daily across 2,200 hectares. The Lamu facility is planned to be integrated with a special economic zone and a 1,000-megawatt power plant, positioning it as a regional energy and industrial hub.
To handle the anticipated influx of dignitaries, Sangolo confirmed that Manda Airport’s runway is being refurbished, while the Manda Bay airstrip has already been upgraded to receive VIP arrivals.
“Sufficient plans have been made to ensure our airports can handle the volume of dignitaries expected,” Sangolo noted, adding that a multi-agency security team has been constituted to secure the grounds ahead of and during the ceremony.
He urged local leaders both elected and nominated to rally behind the project, citing its potential to generate up to 10,000 direct jobs for Lamu residents.
Industry comparisons suggest that when indirect employment across the supply chain, services and the broader special economic zone is factored in, the total could climb toward 60,000 positions for young people and local workers, according to government and industry projections.
Lamu County Assembly Majority Leader Bwana Mohammed Bwana welcomed the project but pressed the national government to intensify public participation efforts.
“So far, the national government has yet to carry out a public participation exercise on this project,” Bwana said, warning that many Lamu leaders and landowners near the proposed refinery site remain uncertain about how the project will unfold.
Mkunumbi Ward MCA Paul Kimani echoed those concerns, calling for a more inclusive engagement process.
“The national government needs to have a more inclusive meeting with local leaders to thrash out the doubts surrounding how this project will be established,” Kimani said.
Lamu Deputy Governor Dr. Mbarak Mohammed Mbarak struck a forward-looking tone, flagging the county’s need for expanded funding to support infrastructure that will accompany the refinery’s workforce.
“With the coming of the Dangote oil refinery, Lamu will need more funding to improve and build public infrastructure that caters to the needs of workers arriving here,” Mbarak said.
