Kenya is exploring a new oil link between Turkana and the coast as the government prepares to move ahead with a major refinery project in Lamu backed by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote.
President William Ruto said Kenya is in discussions with Dangote on constructing a crude oil pipeline from Turkana to Lamu, potentially creating a direct route for Kenya’s oil resources to reach a refinery on the coast.
The announcement came as Ruto confirmed that construction of the proposed Lamu refinery is expected to be launched on September 30, 2026.
But what exactly is being proposed, and why does Kenya need the pipeline?
What is the proposed pipeline?
The proposed pipeline would connect oil resources in Turkana with the planned refinery in Lamu.
Ruto said the discussions with Dangote are intended to “unlock” the oil found in Turkana by creating infrastructure capable of transporting crude to the coast.
If developed, the pipeline could become an important part of a wider petroleum network linking Kenya’s oil-producing areas with processing and export infrastructure at Lamu.
It would also potentially reduce the logistical challenge of moving crude over long distances by road.
Why is Turkana oil important?
Kenya has petroleum resources in Turkana, but the country has yet to establish large-scale commercial crude oil production.
This creates a major challenge for a refinery designed to process hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude every day.
The proposed Lamu refinery is expected to have a capacity of about 700,000 barrels per day, which would make it the largest refinery in East Africa if completed as planned.
That means securing a reliable supply of crude will be critical to the project’s viability.
A Turkana-Lamu pipeline could therefore provide one potential source of feedstock for the refinery while also connecting Kenya’s upstream oil resources to downstream processing.
Where would the refinery fit into Kenya’s plans?
The refinery is being developed as part of a broader industrial and infrastructure strategy around Lamu and the LAPSSET corridor.
The government sees the project as an opportunity to expand petroleum processing, attract investment and position Lamu as a regional energy and logistics hub.
The wider development is also expected to create jobs and support other industries around the refinery. The government has said the broader project could create more than 60,000 jobs.
Dangote is also considering other investments around the Lamu project, including a proposed 1,000-megawatt LNG power plant that could support industrial operations.
What could stand in the way?
The biggest question is whether enough crude can be secured to keep the refinery operating.
Kenya’s oil resources alone may not immediately provide sufficient feedstock for a 700,000-barrel-per-day facility. Other potential regional sources include Uganda and South Sudan, but their crude already has established or proposed routes to other destinations.
Reuters has also identified financing, crude supply, infrastructure and environmental considerations among the major challenges facing the Lamu project.
The pipeline itself would therefore need substantial investment and coordination before it could become operational.
For now, the Turkana-Lamu pipeline remains a proposal under discussion rather than an operational project. Its significance lies in the possibility of connecting Kenya’s upstream oil resources to a major new processing facility — potentially turning Turkana crude into part of a much larger coastal energy and industrial economy.
