Kenyan Presidential Candidate Threatens To Send Dangote Back To Nigeria Over $16 Billion Refinery Project

A Kenyan presidential candidate, Patrick Osoi, has issued a direct warning to Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, threatening to send him back to Nigeria if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Osoi made the remarks in a video that has gone viral, expressing strong opposition to Dangote’s proposed $16 billion oil refinery project in Lamu, Kenya.

“I want to tell Aliko Dangote, please don’t rush to start the refinery because, when I’m sworn in as President of Kenya next year, you will be heading back to Nigeria,” Osoi said while addressing supporters at a Lions Movement event.

The presidential hopeful argued that Kenya has capable local businesspeople who can undertake the refinery project without relying on foreign investors like Dangote.

“We Kenyans have business people who can start the refinery. We also have business people in this country who can do that job. This is what we stand for. This is the home of all movements,” Osoi added.

Osoi’s comments come days after Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto led other African leaders in performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed refinery at Lamu Port on September 30, 2026.

The proposed facility is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is expected to be completed within approximately 40 months.

The project is intended to serve Kenya and other East African countries, aiming to strengthen regional refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

Dangote’s planned investment is estimated at between $15 billion and $16 billion, with the refinery expected to replicate the success of his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lagos, Nigeria.

The project has also faced opposition from some local residents over land ownership, compensation and environmental concerns, with a Kenyan court ordering the maintenance of the status quo in a land dispute involving the project.

Osoi’s remarks appear to reflect his position on prioritising local entrepreneurs over foreign investors, though his statements do not represent an official government decision as he has not been elected president.