Lamu Governor Issa Timamy has asked Dangote Group Chairman Aliko Dangote to give Lamu youth first priority for job opportunities during the construction and operation of the Dangote East Africa Oil Refinery.

Speaking at the groundbreaking and launch ceremony at the Lamu Port, the governor said the county had already invested heavily in equipping young people with employable skills.

Lamu offers free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in building and construction, plumbing, electrical installation, carpentry and joinery, and welding and metal fabrication.

The Sh2.2 trillion (about USD 17 billion) refinery will be built in Magogoni. It is expected to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily and supply refined fuel along the LAPSSET Corridor to Isiolo, Moyale, and Ethiopia. Project organisers say it will create up to 60,000 jobs.

Governor Timamy thanked Mr. Dangote for choosing Lamu as the site of his East African refinery.

He said the project would drive development in Lamu and spur growth along Kenya’s Northern Corridor.

“Lamu is honored to host this project,” he said, adding that the influx of workers and investors would boost demand for housing, food, transport, and other services.

The governor also addressed concerns raised by some residents yesterday, in which a section of residents held a protest in Lamu Island demanding clear compensation and land assurances.

They said they feared displacement from ancestral land occupied for generations and cited past experiences with large infrastructure projects, in which they also called for a transparent compensation roadmap and clear assurances on how the community will benefit.

The Environment and Land Court in Malindi has ordered all parties to maintain the status quo on the disputed land until a hearing on October 14, 2026.

Governor Timamy described those opposed to the project as “enemies of progress” and expressed confidence that most Lamu residents support it.

Mr. Dangote pledged to return and commission the refinery 40 months from the launch date. He said the project began as a plan for a fertilizer plant before evolving into a refinery.

More than 110 pieces of equipment are already available, with 400 more expected within 60 days.

“Africa cannot build lasting prosperity by exporting what we have and importing what we need,” he said, urging African countries to process their natural resources locally.

Lamu Port is already handling more traffic linked to the project. Last week the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) offloaded 2,993 metric tonnes of refinery construction equipment, with about 40 more vessels carrying similar cargo expected later this year.

The ceremony was attended by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Benin President Romuald Wadagni, and Togo President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové.

Other delegates included Burundi’s Energy Minister, South Sudan’s head of delegation, Rwanda’s Trade Minister and Tanzania’s Deputy Minister, according to the organisers.

By Amenya Ochieng