NAIROBI, Kenya — Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has said most of the land earmarked for the proposed Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu is government-owned public land, amid a legal dispute with residents claiming ownership of parts of the site.
Wahome said the government has identified about 7,000 acres for the refinery, with an additional parcel of more than 2,000 acres also classified as state-owned land.
The CS said the presence of people living on some of the land does not automatically make it private property, noting that the government was dealing with different categories of occupants.
“The government was dealing with different categories of people in the area, including genuine squatters who may have occupied particular pieces of land for decades and may have no other place to go,” she said.
According to Wahome, some families have occupied the disputed parcels for 50 to 60 years, with land being passed down through generations. She said this had complicated efforts to establish legitimate ownership and determine who should be compensated.
The clarification comes as some Lamu residents challenge the refinery project in court, arguing that parts of the land earmarked for the development are ancestral property and raising concerns over compensation and possible displacement.
Wahome said the government already has data on the original landowners and people with legitimate claims as it works to resolve wider land issues surrounding the project.
She also alleged that some people who moved to court to challenge the project had been “planted by enemies of development”, but maintained that genuine claims would be considered.
The CS said the government was involved in the process because the refinery is a multi-agency project requiring coordination on land acquisition, resettlement and the handling of claims from people who may be affected by the development.
The development comes as the government moves ahead with the Sh2.2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery, which was officially launched on September 30.
The project is expected to create up to 60,000 direct and indirect jobs, with the government and Dangote Group presenting it as a major investment for Lamu and the wider East African region.
Wahome said the court case is being handled directly by the Attorney General, while the government will continue addressing legitimate land and compensation claims arising from the refinery’s development.
