The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
President William Ruto has arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, for a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery ahead of the planned groundbreaking of a refinery project in Lamu.
During the visit, officials briefed the President on the different stages of the refining process and the facility’s broader contribution to meeting energy and petrochemical demand across the region.
Located in Lagos, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has an estimated capacity of about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of Africa’s largest refining facilities.
The project was initially planned for Tanzania before the Dangote Group moved its focus to Kenya, citing considerations around infrastructure, logistics and market opportunities.
Ruto is expected to return to Kenya from Lagos before beginning a weeklong working tour of the Coast region on Saturday.
The tour will take the President through Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties, with the programme focusing on development initiatives, land reforms and investment opportunities.
One of the key activities will be the issuance of nearly 200,000 title deeds to residents across the six counties, as the Government moves to address long-running land ownership challenges.
Ruto will start the Coast tour in Taita-Taveta, where 31,318 title deeds are scheduled for distribution to residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies.
On Monday, he will travel to Kwale, where 94,175 title deeds are expected to be issued to beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango constituencies.
In Kilifi, the Government plans to distribute 36,826 title deeds covering residents in Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Kilifi South and Malindi constituencies.
Mombasa is set to receive 4,360 title deeds, while another 22,770 documents will be distributed across Lamu and Tana River counties.
The Government says the title deeds will give beneficiaries formal ownership of their land while allowing them to use their property for economic purposes.
During the tour, Ruto is also expected to commission completed projects, inspect ongoing developments and launch new initiatives across the region.
The planned Lamu refinery groundbreaking is expected to be a major highlight of the visit, placing the Coast region at the centre of the Government’s energy and industrialisation plans.
The project is also expected to contribute to job creation and regional trade by strengthening petroleum supply chains serving Kenya and other markets in the region.
