NAIROBI, Kenya- The Equitable Party Leader and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has accused President William Ruto’s allies in Parliament of preventing scrutiny of the proposed Lamu refinery, despite the President’s advice to use formal channels to obtain government documents.
Sifuna said Ruto speaks confidently at rallies because he knows his “gatekeepers in Parliament” will not allow the matter to reach the floor.
“This one on the Lamu Refinery has suffered the same fate,” he said, calling on Kenyans to “uproot this entire system in 2027 to rescue our country”.
Sifuna’s request for a Senate statement on the refinery was received by the Senate on October 2, according to the stamp on the attached document.
He asked the Senate Energy Committee to provide records about the project’s approval, financing, public participation, environmental impact, land arrangements and beneficial ownership.
He also wants the committee to disclose how much Kenyan taxpayers may contribute, where the money would come from and whether any public investment would offer value for money.
The request follows Ruto’s call for Sifuna to use parliamentary procedures to obtain the agreement between the government and Dangote Group.
Sifuna has argued that access to information held by the State is a constitutional right.
The proposed refinery, valued at about KSh2.2 trillion, was officially launched in Lamu on September 30.
Its planned capacity is 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
