A Kenyan court has ordered a halt to construction activities for the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu County following a petition by farmers and local residents.
The Malindi Environment and Land Court directed that the existing situation at the project site be maintained until the case is heard on October 14.
The petitioners, residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, accused the authorities and Dangote Group of forcefully evicting them and destroying their properties without a resettlement plan.
They also argued that the project had not complied with Kenya’s environmental laws, including the requirement for an environmental impact assessment before major projects can begin.
The petitioners further claimed that the project did not meet constitutional requirements for public participation.
A lawyer representing the petitioners, George Wakahiu, told Bloomberg that the ruling means construction activities cannot begin before the October 14 hearing.
However, Dangote Group said the court had not specifically stopped the planned groundbreaking ceremony.
The company said activities at the site could be affected by the order because both parties were required to maintain the status quo until the case is heard.
Kenyan President William Ruto had earlier said his government was fast-tracking the administrative processes for the refinery to prevent delays.
Ruto made the disclosure during a visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos ahead of the planned September 30 groundbreaking ceremony for the 700,000-barrel-per-day facility in Lamu.
Dangote has said the proposed Kenyan refinery would be larger than its existing refinery in Nigeria.
Ruto described the project as a regional investment expected to expand industrial activities, create jobs and improve technical skills in East Africa.
