“I’ll Send Dangote Back To Nigeria” — Kenyan Presidential Candidate Warns Ahead Of Election

Kenyan presidential candidate, Patrick Osoi, has warned the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, against rushing the proposed construction of a 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Kenya, insisting that the Nigerian billionaire could be forced to leave the country if he becomes president in February 2027.

Osoi issued the warning in a video shared by AM Media, declaring that he would ensure Dangote returned to Nigeria after his inauguration.

“I want to tell Dangote, please, don’t hurry up to start the refinery, because by next year, February, the time I’m sworn in as the president of this country, you’ll be back going to Nigeria,” he said.

The presidential hopeful argued that Kenya had capable businesspeople who could undertake the refinery project, adding that the country needed a facility capable of meeting its energy requirements.

“Because we are asking a refinery which can do that job. We also have business people in this country who can do that job,” Osoi said.

His 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.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Dangote, Africa’s richest man, flagged off the construction of the $16 billion project on Wednesday, September 30, in what is expected to be a major development for East Africa’s energy sector.

The proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day facility is expected to be completed by 2030 and is designed to reduce the region’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

The project is also expected to replicate the success of Dangote’s refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, which has helped reposition the country from a major importer of refined petroleum products to an emerging exporter.