List of Presidents, High-Profile Dignitaries Attending Dangote Refinery Groundbreaking

President William Ruto is leading a high-profile gathering of African leaders and senior government officials attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Dangote East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu.

The ceremony marks the formal start of the multibillion-shilling refinery project, which is planned within the LAPSSET corridor in Lamu.

Among the visiting leaders attending the ceremony is Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Benin's Romuald Wadagni and Togo's Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové are also attending the event as part of the high-profile delegation witnessing the launch of the project.

Dangote Industries Limited President Aliko Dangote is attending the ceremony, with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo also among the prominent dignitaries present.

Kenya's Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi are representing the national government at the event.

Lamu Governor Issa Timamy is also attending the ceremony and is leading governors from across the country.

The proposed refinery is designed to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is expected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and other countries across East Africa and regional markets.

Preparations for the groundbreaking have included the arrival at Lamu Port of about 2,930 tonnes of heavy construction machinery.

This comes a day after President William Ruto said court cases challenging the launch of the refinery were being sponsored by individuals with selfish interests.

Speaking in Kilifi on Tuesday, September 29, he accused them of trying to blackmail investor Aliko Dangote into ceding shares of the refinery, or else they would frustrate the entire process.

Ruto told the 'middlemen' that he will not allow them to do so with the Lamu project, adding that the practice has driven out investors from the country in past regimes, including when Dangote wanted to put up a cement factory in the country.

"You are the sponsors of those court cases because you are against this investment since you have not gotten what you have been getting. You are undermining the investment in our country, and I will not allow you.

"When you have a government that, instead of facilitating investors, you are giving conditions and demands, that is how we have driven away investment. That is how we lost the Uganda crude oil pipeline and the Dangote Cement factory," he stated.

Ruto confirmed that the government and Kenyans would have a stake in the Dangote Refinery. He stated that the share will be sold competitively at the Nairobi Securities Exchange and will not be a preserve of the elite.

"All Kenyans will have a chance to buy shares through a transparent process at the NSE. Those of you who have shares everywhere, including Kenya Power, don't assume that you are the only ones who know how to buy them," he added.