The Malindi Environment and Land Court in Kenya has ordered that construction of the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu County be suspended until further hearing.
This came about after farmers and local residents of Chandavai, an area in Lamu County, opposed the plan, citing instances of “forceful eviction” and the destruction of their property.
Judge Jane Onyango ordered that “the status quo prevailing” be maintained, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday.
The report noted that, as per the order issued on September 25 but made public on Monday, the court will give further directions on the case on October 14.
George Wakahiu, a lawyer representing the petitioners, told Bloomberg that the ruling means construction of the project should not begin until the court meets on October 14.
The Dangote refinery project entails “forceful eviction of the plaintiffs from their lands, damage and destruction of their properties, and yet there is no resettlement plan for them,” according to the petitioners. Dangote and the Kenyan authorities have yet to comply with the nation’s environmental code that requires “a mandatory environmental impact assessment be done before the implementation of any major project,” they said.
The refinery also fails to comply with Kenya’s constitution, “which requires that the necessary public participation” be conducted, according to the court filings, the report stated.
Nevertheless, in a Reuters report on Tuesday, Dangote Group, the business conglomerate owned by Africa’s richest man, stated that the court had not yet halted the refinery’s groundbreaking ceremony.
It pointed out that operations at the proposed refinery site would be disrupted until the court hearing on October 14.
“The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, activities at the site may be affected by the ruling, as both parties are required not to carry out activities until the case is heard on 14th October,” the statement read.
The Kenyan President William Ruto said his government was fast-tracking administrative processes for the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu. This is as Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, said the planned facility would be bigger than the existing Nigerian plant.
On Friday, during a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, Ruto spoke ahead of the September 30 groundbreaking ceremony for the planned 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
The Kenyan president stated that his government has already secured the land for the project and is addressing other requirements to remove bureaucratic obstacles and ensure that construction and later operations proceed without delay.
He portrayed the proposed refinery as a regional undertaking that would boost industrial activity in East Africa, generate jobs, and enhance the technical skills of the region’s workforce.
