President William Ruto has shared new information about a planned multi-billion-dollar oil refinery project for East Africa after businessman Aliko Dangote announced his intention to invest in Tanzania.
While speaking at the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi on Tuesday, April 28, Ruto said leaders from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have already discussed creating one major refinery that would serve the wider region.
He explained that instead of each country working separately, they are considering a joint strategy that would combine their resources and strengthen regional cooperation.
Ruto also noted that South Sudan is expected to be part of the wider plan, as the four nations explore ways of refining crude oil locally rather than sending it overseas for processing.
According to him, East African countries must start using their own natural resources to grow industries, create jobs, and boost their economies. He stressed that the time has come for the region to stop depending on exporting raw materials while other countries benefit from value addition.
The president added that East Africa has huge untapped potential not only in oil but also in mining and renewable energy. He said these sectors can play a key role in transforming the region’s economy if they are developed properly and connected to a long-term industrial growth plan.
Ruto’s remarks came only days after Dangote revealed plans to construct a refinery in the Tanga region of Tanzania. Dangote said he would be ready to build a refinery similar to the world-class facility he established in Nigeria if leaders from Kenya and Uganda backed the proposal.
He made the comments during the Africa We Build Summit 2026 held in Nairobi on April 23.
His statement came shortly after President Yoweri Museveni announced that Uganda was moving forward with plans to establish its own refinery in Hoima. During that discussion, Ruto also pledged that Kenya could invest as much as Ksh500 billion in the project.
After Dangote’s proposal and Kenya’s support, several media outlets suggested that the Tanzania refinery plan could affect Uganda’s refinery ambitions. Some reports even described the development as a major setback for Uganda.
Ruto strongly rejected that interpretation, saying the project should be viewed as cooperation rather than competition. He questioned how three neighbouring countries joining forces to build one major piece of infrastructure could be considered a problem.
In his view, regional unity on such projects would lower costs, increase efficiency, and benefit millions of citizens across East Africa.
The planned refinery discussions are taking place at a time when oil production activities have already started in Turkana, where more than 560 million barrels of oil reserves were previously discovered.
This has increased hopes that Kenya and its neighbours could use local energy resources to drive industrial growth and reduce dependence on imports.
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