Kenyan Court Orders Status Quo Over Land for Dangote’s Lamu Refinery
A Kenyan court has directed parties involved in a land dispute surrounding Dangote Group’s proposed refinery in Lamu to maintain the existing status quo pending further proceedings.
The order was issued by Justice Jane Onyango of the Malindi Environment and Land Court in connection with a dispute over a parcel identified as LR No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area of Lamu County. The case is scheduled for an inter partes hearing on October 14, 2026.
The legal challenge was brought by 133 residents of Chandavai, who claim that their families have occupied and used portions of the disputed land for generations.
The residents say they have farmed the land, kept livestock and built homes and places of worship there. They also claim that some members of their families are buried on the property.
Although the residents acknowledge that they do not possess formal title deeds, they argue that their longstanding occupation and customary interests in the land should be recognised and protected under Kenyan law.
The residents further allege that government officials and agents associated with the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor entered the area with heavy machinery in 2024, resulting in the destruction of crops, trees and other property.
They are seeking legal protection for their property and livelihood interests and have raised concerns about the process through which the land is being acquired for development.
Court Does Not Stop Groundbreaking
Despite the application by the residents, the court did not grant their request to stop the planned groundbreaking ceremony or halt the wider refinery project at this stage.
The status quo order is therefore not an outright injunction against the refinery’s development. The court is expected to consider the parties’ arguments more fully when the case comes up for hearing on October 14.
Dangote Group has said the court ruling will not prevent the planned groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for September 30, although some activities at the project site could be affected by the order.
The proposed Lamu refinery is expected to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The project, estimated at roughly $17 billion in recent statements, is intended to serve the wider East African market and form part of Dangote Group’s expansion across the continent.
Dangote Group has already appointed Engineers India Limited to provide project management consultancy and engineering, procurement and construction management services for the refinery and petrochemical complex.
The ongoing court case means the land dispute remains unresolved as preparations for the project continue.
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