The Malindi Environment and Land Court has ordered parties to maintain the status quo on a disputed parcel of land linked to the proposed Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu County, as 133 residents challenge the project’s use of land they claim as ancestral property.
Justice Jane Onyango, in an order issued on September 25, declined to certify the residents’ application as urgent. The respondents were directed to file their responses within 14 days, with the matter scheduled for an inter partes hearing on October 14, 2026.
The court’s interim direction applies to Land Reference No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area of Lamu. While the residents had sought orders to stop the planned refinery groundbreaking and development, the court did not grant that request outright.
The legal position has generated differing interpretations of what the status quo order means for activities at the site. On September 29, Dangote Group told Reuters that the court ruling would not halt the official groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for September 30, although it could affect some site activities.
The case was filed by 133 residents of Chandavai, who say their families have occupied, cultivated and developed parts of the disputed land for generations. According to court filings reported by Kenyan media, the residents say the area includes farms, livestock areas, homes, mosques, shrines and family graves.
The applicants also allege that government and LAPSSET agents entered the disputed land in August 2024 with heavy machinery, resulting in the destruction of crops and trees. They argue that they have not been adequately compensated or provided with a clear resettlement arrangement. These remain allegations in the ongoing proceedings and have yet to be determined by the court.
The dispute comes as preparations for the refinery project continue. On September 26, the Port of Lamu received about 2,930 metric tonnes of heavy machinery and construction materials aboard the MV Da Yang, ahead of the planned groundbreaking.
The proposed refinery is estimated at KSh2.2 trillion, or roughly US$17 billion, and is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The project is expected to source crude from Kenya’s Lokichar basin and potentially other supplies from East and Southern Africa.
Engineers India has also secured a contract worth more than US$450 million to provide project management, engineering, procurement and construction management services for the refinery and petrochemical complex.
The refinery forms part of wider plans to position Lamu as an energy and logistics hub and could have implications for fuel supply, regional trade and industrial development across East Africa.
For now, the land dispute remains before the courts, with the next major legal step set for October 14, 2026, when the parties are expected to appear for the inter partes hearing.
