President William Ruto has announced plans for the construction of a regional oil refinery in Lamu, saying the multi-billion-shilling project is expected to create about 60,000 jobs for young people and position Kenya as a key energy hub for East and Central Africa.

Speaking on Friday during the disbursement of the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, President Ruto said the proposed refinery is being developed in partnership with Nigerian billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote and is intended to serve not only Kenya but several neighbouring countries.

“We are building an East Africa refinery in Lamu which will require 60,000 youth for doing the work,” Ruto said.

The President added that discussions with Dangote had culminated in an agreement to pursue the project as a regional investment.

“I have talked with Aliko Dangote, and we have agreed on the refinery, which is not only for Kenya but also Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will provide jobs and opportunities for our youth,” he said.

According to Ruto, the refinery is expected to strengthen regional energy security by reducing dependence on imported refined petroleum products while supporting industrialisation and expanding economic opportunities across the region.

The President’s remarks come days after Dangote Industries selected Lamu as the preferred location for its proposed Sh2.59 trillion oil refinery.

Once completed, the facility is expected to refine up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest refinery in East Africa.

If implemented, the refinery would rank among the region’s largest energy infrastructure projects, with the potential to stimulate investment in supporting sectors such as transport, construction, manufacturing and logistics.