Kenya revives its Turkana pipeline, this time to feed Dangote's refinery
A presidential adviser says the Lamu refinery makes a once-abandoned pipeline bankable. First crude is due on 1 December.
Nairobi — Kenya plans to revive a pipeline from its South Lokichar oil fields in Turkana, this time to Aliko Dangote's planned refinery at Lamu. Business Daily reports that this would make Kenyan crude a main feedstock for the project.
The pipeline had been abandoned over doubts about funding. An earlier plan for an 892km line to Mombasa was dropped because of uncertainty about raising at least $1.5 billion. Presidential economic adviser David Ndii now says the refinery makes the line bankable.
What is planned
- First oil: Gulf Energy, licensed for Blocks T6 and T7, is set to resume drilling this month and produce Kenya's first crude on 1 December. First exports are targeted for March, with trucks carrying the crude to Mombasa at first.
- Capacity: a heated pipeline is expected to carry up to 100,000 barrels a day.
- The refinery: put by Business Daily at about $24 billion (other reports give lower figures), it broke ground on 30 September. Its output could cover up to 89% of Kenya's demand for fuel and lubricants. The 2025 fuel import bill was about $4.5 billion.
Reports in September said no construction contract, final funding or completion date for the pipeline had been announced.
Source: Business Daily, Bénin Web TV, November 2026.
