Kenya has reached an agreement with Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote to invest in a crude oil pipeline linking the oil fields in Turkana County to Lamu, President William Ruto has said.
Speaking during a media interview in Mombasa, Ruto said the pipeline would enable Kenya to transport crude from the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana to the planned refinery in Lamu. He said the government expects crude oil extraction in Turkana to begin before December 2026.
The development comes as Kenya moves to establish Lamu as a major petroleum and industrial hub. The proposed Dangote refinery is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with Kenyan crude expected to form part of its feedstock alongside oil sourced from other countries.
Kenya has previously outlined plans for an approximately 825-kilometre crude oil pipeline connecting South Lokichar to Lamu. The South Lokichar project is currently targeting first oil in December 2026, with production initially expected at around 20,000 barrels per day, before potentially rising to 120,000 barrels per day by 2032.
The pipeline could therefore provide a direct transportation route for Turkana crude to the coast while supporting the development of the Lamu refinery and wider LAPSSET corridor.
The announcement follows the September 30, 2026 groundbreaking of the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu. The planned refinery forms part of a wider industrial complex that is expected to include petrochemical and chemical manufacturing facilities and a 1,000-megawatt power plant.
Ruto has also indicated that Kenya’s own oil production will not be sufficient to supply the 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery, meaning the facility will need crude from other regional and international producers.
Read more: Dangote Begins $16 Billion Lamu Refinery Project in Kenya
