KENYAN opposition leaders and party heads have intensified pressure on President William Ruto’s administration over what they describe as a lack of transparency surrounding the proposed Sh2 trillion (about $16 billion) Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project in Lamu.
News Point Nigeria reports that the joint development, launched on September 30, 2026, by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and President Ruto, has triggered growing questions over the ownership structure of the Kenyan subsidiary, the government’s proposed stake, land allocation, the possible use of public funds and assets, and the wider benefits and safeguards for Kenyan citizens.
The project is designed as a major regional refinery and petrochemicals development, with the Kenyan government saying it expects the investment to strengthen energy security, create jobs and stimulate economic activity.
Among those demanding answers is People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) leader Ndindi Nyoro, who has issued a 14-day ultimatum for the government to disclose the full shareholding structure of Dangote East African Refinery, details of the land arrangements and information on any proposed use of the National Infrastructure Fund.
Nyoro has argued that the ownership structure of the project is a matter of public interest and that Kenyans have the right to know who owns the Kenyan company behind the refinery, how shares are divided, what stake the government will hold and whether any shares have been allocated to members of the public. His demand comes amid wider scrutiny of the project’s ownership, land contribution and financial commitments expected from Kenya.
Nyoro has also accused President Ruto’s administration of underhand dealings in the project, particularly over how the government intends to finance its stake through the National Infrastructure Fund.
“Na wewe William Ruto, usikasirike tukikuuliza maswali kwa sababu lazima ujibu maswali ya Wakenya, na ukiona huyo jamaa anakasirika mjue kuna kitu yake hapo,” Nyoro stated.
He is demanding the publication of the full list of shareholders, including the division of shares and the government’s stake, as well as any shares allocated to members of the public.
Nyoro alleges that the ownership structure could conceal interests linked to individuals in government.
“Wakenya wanataka list ya shareholders wa Dangote East Africa Petroleum. Wakenya wakiona shareholders wanajiita watu wa pale UAE ama Dubai, sisi tunajua huyo mtu sio wa Dubai, tunajua ni mtu ako hapa Kenya anaitwa William Ruto na anapita na mali ya Wakenya,” he said.
The government has announced plans to take a 10 per cent equity stake in the proposed Lamu oil refinery, with President Ruto saying the investment would be financed largely through public assets, including land, as well as the National Infrastructure Fund.
“We do not want anything for free. We are going to deploy our assets, whether it is land and all the other assets, and we are going to use the National Infrastructure Fund to invest in this refinery,” Ruto said earlier.
But while the government has announced its intention to take a stake in the Ksh2.2 trillion project, questions remain over how the financing will actually be structured and executed. Nyoro has specifically demanded that the government disclose whether land contributed by Kenya will be converted into equity and what the value of such a contribution would be.
The board overseeing the National Infrastructure Fund is yet to publicly set out the details. Efforts to inject more than Ksh200 billion into the fund through the planned sale of government-held Safaricom shares have also hit a legal hurdle after the courts halted the transaction.
Nyoro is also demanding full disclosure on land compensation, claiming that Dangote has been allocated thousands of acres of land whose compensation was paid by Kenyan taxpayers.
“Dangote amepewa shamba ya 7,000 acres ambayo imelipiwa na Wakenya kupitia kodi. Wakenya wanauliza, what are we getting in return of the 7,000 acres where taxpayers’ money was used to compensate for the land? Tunataka agreements zote zile serikali imecommit Wakenya ya kununua bidhaa za Dangote refineries na ile bei ambayo wameeka pale…” Nyoro stated.
The land question has become one of the major areas of controversy surrounding the project. Reports have put the government’s identified land commitment at thousands of acres, with President Ruto saying additional land could be required as the development expands to include the refinery, special economic zone and other associated developments.
The pressure has also extended beyond Nyoro, with Kenya’s Thirdway Alliance Party formally demanding full disclosure of the contract between the Kenyan government and Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals SEZ over the proposed refinery and petrochemicals project in Lamu.
In a letter dated October 2, 2026, and addressed to Kenya’s Attorney-General, Dorcas Agik Oduor, Thirdway Alliance party leader Dr Ekuru Aukot sought access to the agreement and documents detailing the ownership structure of the Dangote project.
The letter, signed by Aukot, cited Article 35 of the Kenyan Constitution and Sections 4, 5 and 9 of the Access to Information Act, 2016, as the legal basis for the request.
Aukot also questioned, in a post on his X account, why Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, wants to build a refinery in Kenya when Nigeria has yet to solve its power supply problem.
“Btw, Nigeria has serious power problem. Why can’t #Dangote fix his country first before coming to Kenya re oil refinery? We reject this deal,” he wrote.
Thirdway Alliance asked the Attorney-General to provide “full access to the agreement or contract executed between the Government of Kenya (or any associated public entity) and the Dangote Group or its project entity, Dangote Refineries Limited SEZ, regarding the Dangote East Africa Refinery and Petrochemicals SEZ located in Lamu.”
The party also requested all execution copies, schedules, side letters and subsequent amendments to the agreement.
“Should a definitive agreement not yet be executed, kindly confirm its present status, provide any existing draft agreements, and supply any approvals currently on record with your office,” the letter stated.
Thirdway Alliance said its request followed what it described as recent public comments by President Ruto dismissing calls for information about the project.
The party accused Ruto of referring to citizens seeking information as “matapeli”, a Swahili term commonly used to describe con artists or fraudsters, and accusing them of attempting to extort the investor.
“Seeking access to public government contracts is an inalienable constitutional right under Article 35,” Thirdway Alliance said.
“While foreign investment that advances Kenya’s interests is welcome, the public remains fully entitled to scrutinize any contractual commitments made on its behalf.”
The party further asked the Attorney-General to disclose whether the Dangote refinery project or agreement had been presented to, debated, approved or ratified by Kenya’s Parliament.
It requested the relevant dates as well as Hansard records, committee reports, resolutions and approval documents where applicable.
“If it was not, state whether the Government considers parliamentary approval necessary and the legal basis for its position, including whether the project is treated as a public-private partnership and creates any public financial liability,” the letter said.
Thirdway Alliance further urged the government to publish the agreement and all material government commitments relating to the project on an official public website.
“Article 35(3) and section 5 of the Act require publication of important public information,” it said.
The party said it recognised the potential economic benefits of the project but opposed what it described as opaque initiatives or arrangements that could place an undue burden on Kenyan citizens.
“While we acknowledge the enormous economic benefits that would accrue from the project, we are opposed to any opaque initiatives, as well as initiatives that burden ‘mwananchi’ and go contrary to the spirit of ‘punguzamizigo’,” it said.
Among its immediate demands, Thirdway Alliance requested a list of all beneficial owners of Dangote East Africa Refinery and Petrochemicals SEZ, details of all current directors and official CR12 documents for locally incorporated corporate shareholders.
It also requested corresponding registry documents for foreign entity shareholders showing the project’s ownership structure.
The party further sought the Memorandum and Articles of Association, or their equivalents, for all local and foreign shareholders of corporate shareholders, as well as details of the beneficial owners of those shareholders.
The letter also invoked the constitutional role of the Attorney-General, saying the office should advise the President on the legal requirements surrounding access to public information.
“Kenya is a constitutional republic, not President Ruto’s personal or private company,” Thirdway Alliance said.
“As the Government’s principal legal adviser under Article 156, you are requested to advise the President accordingly and ensure that this request is processed immediately.”
The party gave the Attorney-General 21 days to respond, citing Section 9(1) of the Access to Information Act.
It said a refusal or failure to respond would be treated as a deemed rejection under Section 9(6) of the Act.
Thirdway Alliance also warned that it could pursue legal action if its concerns were substantiated.
“If the evidence establishes that President Ruto personally directed or maintained an unlawful refusal, Thirdway Alliance Kenya shall immediately commence proceedings against the state now and against him personally after he leaves office,” the party said.
The letter requested that the government’s response be sent electronically to the party’s designated email addresses.
The transparency demands come against the backdrop of President Ruto’s position that Parliament has established procedures through which lawmakers can request government contracts, even as opposition leaders and political parties insist that citizens should be able to scrutinise commitments made in their name.
The debate has consequently shifted from the economic promise of the refinery to questions around ownership, public assets, financing, parliamentary oversight and the contractual obligations attached to the project.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Dangote defended the project and indicated that the team was prepared to face legal challenges and continue with the development despite the political pushback.
The proposed refinery and petrochemicals project is expected to form part of a much larger industrial development in Lamu and serve markets beyond Kenya. The project has been presented by the Kenyan government as a major investment capable of strengthening energy security, creating employment and stimulating economic opportunities in Lamu and the wider East African region.
However, opposition leaders and critics continue to insist that economic benefits should not come at the expense of transparency, particularly where public land, public assets or potential public financial liabilities are involved.
The controversy has also brought renewed attention to Dangote’s broader investments in power and industrial development in Africa, particularly his long-standing argument that inadequate electricity supply remains one of the continent’s biggest obstacles to industrialisation.
In May, Dangote said Dangote Group was moving into power generation, with a target of up to 20,000 megawatts. He made the remark in an interview with Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
“We are now going into power – 20,000 megawatts,” he said.
Dangote listed the planned investment alongside other projects, including fertiliser production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and port development. Nigeria currently generates about 4,000-4,500MW of electricity, far below its installed capacity of more than 13,000MW.
He also spoke about his refinery project in Nigeria, which he said faced scepticism from the beginning.
“At the time when I started this refinery… I have never ever seen crude oil in my life,” he said. “People openly said this refinery will never happen.”
The refinery, valued at about $20 billion, is now producing fuel, with an estimated capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.