A Kenyan tribunal has dismissed a petition challenging the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day crude oil refinery being developed by the Dangote Group in Lamu, Kenya, ruling that the petitioner failed to establish grounds for compelling the disclosure of project documents.

The decision, reported by Reuters on Thursday, followed a petition filed by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) against the refinery project, which is planned for the coastal town of Lamu along the Indian Ocean.

According to the tribunal’s ruling dated October 30, COFEK failed to demonstrate that the proposed refinery qualified as a public-private partnership (PPP), thereby providing no legal basis for the disclosure of its documents.

The consumer rights organisation had approached Kenya’s Public-Private Partnerships Petition Committee Tribunal, seeking a review and cancellation of any approvals granted to the project that allegedly failed to comply with applicable regulations.

COFEK also requested the disclosure of details surrounding the Kenyan government’s proposed investment in the refinery, including the investment vehicle, share structure, payment arrangements and evidence of public participation.

The tribunal’s decision comes amid a series of legal challenges surrounding the proposed refinery.

In September, the Malindi Environment and Land Court ordered parties involved in a land dispute concerning the project to maintain the status quo ahead of its planned groundbreaking ceremony.

The order followed a suit filed by 133 residents of Chandavai, who claimed that the land earmarked for the refinery was ancestral property occupied and utilised by their families for generations.

However, the court lifted the restraining order on October 14, allowing the project to proceed with construction activities.

Meanwhile, Dangote has outlined plans to expand the group’s petroleum distribution infrastructure across Africa following its acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in Kenya’s petroleum products pipeline network.

The industrialist disclosed the investment during a conversation with Financial Times journalist David Pilling, noting that the group was pursuing projects involving pipelines, storage facilities and supply corridors across East, Central and Southern Africa.

He said the initiative was aimed at addressing petroleum supply challenges and improving the distribution of refined products across the continent.

Dangote also revealed that the group was developing a petroleum distribution corridor connecting Djibouti to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while projects in Cameroon and Namibia were at different stages of development.

He described the acquisition of the stake in Kenya’s pipeline network as part of a broader strategy to establish an integrated petroleum distribution system across Africa.

The businessman further urged African governments to protect domestic industries from unfair foreign competition, stressing the importance of supporting local investments and industrial development.