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Greenpeace demands halt
Greenpeace Africa has called for the immediate suspension of approvals for Aliko Dangote’s planned oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya, after the project was confirmed earlier this month to be located at Kenya's Lamu port.
“The mega-refinery project planned on the Kenyan coast by the Nigerian group Dangote threatens "a fragile ecosystem," Greenpeace Africa said on Tuesday, July 14, calling for an independent environmental impact assessment prior to any implementation”
In a statement, Sherelee Odayar said, "This project threatens to damage one of East Africa's most fragile coastal ecosystems while locking Kenya into a risky fossil fuel future," as the group warned of habitat destruction, marine degradation, oil spill risk and dangerous air pollution.
Greenpeace Africa also demanded that "No approvals should move forward without a full, independent environmental and social impact assessment, genuine public participation and transparent scrutiny of the long-term economic, health and ecological risks," tying its request to what it says must be assessed before any administrative steps proceed.
The refinery is described as having a planned capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, with expected construction taking about 30 months, and Greenpeace Africa said the $17 billion project should be suspended pending an independent environmental assessment before approvals are granted.
Ruto backs jobs
Kenyan President William Ruto has praised the refinery, arguing it will create jobs, and Greenpeace Africa responded that the project would only "create temporary jobs while undermining existing livelihoods in fishing, tourism and small-scale local economies".
Greenpeace Africa pointed to the World Heritage status of Lamu, saying the area includes "the oldest and best preserved example of a Swahili settlement – lamb Old Town" and marine protected areas around the archipelago.
The opposition is also framed around public participation and transparency, with Greenpeace Africa calling for an independent environmental and social impact assessment that is made public and subjected to meaningful public participation.
While Greenpeace Africa urged a halt, the project’s proponents say it is already advancing, with Dangote Industries stating that site identification, soil testing, and engineering and design works have commenced, and construction is expected to take about three years once implementation begins.
ESG and legal pressure
Greenpeace Africa’s opposition is presented as an ESG risk, with the organization arguing that the refinery could affect mangroves, coral reefs, and Lamu's seagrass beds that support fishing and coastal protection.
“The east African oil refinery, with a planned capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, was confirmed earlier this month to be located at Kenya's Lamu port, ending months of speculation that Tanzania could host the project”
The group also warned that the refinery could become an "irrecoverable asset as the world moves toward cleaner energy" and said it would "lock Kenya into decades of highly carbon-intensive development, worsening climate change and its impacts," linking its call for a halt to long-term climate and health concerns.
In addition to Greenpeace Africa, the dispute is described as part of a broader pattern of environmental mobilization around fossil-fuel projects, with the La Tribune noting that the opposition around EACOP reached the financial arena and citing major international banks that announced withdrawal from financing.
The La Tribune also points to a precedent involving the LAPSSET corridor, saying that in 2018 Kenya’s High Court found certain procedures had not complied with public consultation requirements, and it frames the Dangote refinery case as one where environmental controversy could alter conditions for accessing capital and trigger additional requirements or longer timelines.
