President William Ruto has accused critics seeking details of the Sh2.2 trillion Dangote refinery agreement of attempting to frustrate and extort Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, as scrutiny grows over the terms of the massive Lamu investment.

Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday, Ruto said his administration would protect Dangote and other investors from what he described as intimidation, unnecessary court cases and vested interests seeking to derail major projects.

His remarks came after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna questioned why Parliament had not been furnished with the agreement between the government and Dangote Group.

“You know the government and parliamentary protocols to follow in requesting for such information,” Ruto said, before alleging that the push for the agreement was intended to facilitate the extortion of Dangote.

Ruto further claimed that similar interests had previously frustrated Dangote’s efforts to establish a cement manufacturing operation in Kenya.

“You are not going to frustrate and extort Dangote again the way you did when he was looking for cement manufacturing,” he said.

The Sh2.2 trillion Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery broke ground in Lamu on September 30 and is expected to process about 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day when complete. Dangote has said the project should be finished within 40 months.

Ruto said the project could create about 60,000 jobs during construction and open further investment opportunities in energy, petrochemicals and manufacturing.

The President made the remarks during a Coast tour that also included housing, roads, healthcare and infrastructure projects.

At Shanzu Teachers College, he broke ground for a Sh225 million student housing project expected to provide 600 beds.

In Mvita, Ruto launched a Sh4.5 billion affordable housing project comprising 1,800 units and unveiled medical equipment for Mombasa County hospitals.

He said the government is investing about Sh40 billion in affordable housing, markets and student accommodation projects across Mombasa County, alongside major road upgrades and investments in the blue economy.

The Coast tour comes as the government positions the Dangote refinery as a cornerstone of its plan to turn Lamu into a major petroleum, logistics and industrial hub.

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