Lamu residents sue to halt Sh2trn Dangote refinery over ancestral land claims
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More than 130 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County have sued to stop the proposed Ksh 2 trillion Dangote oil refinery, saying the project would unlawfully take land their families have occupied and farmed for generations.
More than 130 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the proposed Ksh 2 trillion Dangote oil refinery, arguing that the development involves the unlawful takeover of land their families have occupied and cultivated for generations.
The plaintiffs have named the Office of the President, the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, the Attorney General, the National Land Commission, the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority, the Lamu County Government, Dangote Industries and two contractors as defendants.
The suit concerns land identified as LR No. 13061. Residents state that they have used the area for farming, livestock keeping and community structures including homes, mosques and shrines, and that some family members are buried on the land. Although they lack formal title deeds, they base their claim on long-standing occupation, customary tenure and beneficial use, describing the land as community land under the stewardship of the Lamu County Government.
Court documents allege that on August 7, 2024, government agents and LAPSSET officials entered the land with heavy machinery and destroyed crops, trees and structures without prior notice or compensation. Residents further claim that on September 10, 2026, police and administrators cleared part of the disputed area ahead of the planned groundbreaking ceremony.
Soil testing and other preparatory activities linked to the refinery reportedly began in July 2026, and the residents say local administrators later informed them that the Dangote project would proceed alongside existing LAPSSET and Manda Bay infrastructure works. Separately, residents of Kwa Sasi Mvinjeni have held demonstrations demanding compensation and resettlement before any launch by President William Ruto.
The plaintiffs argue that compulsory acquisition procedures have not been followed properly, citing failures to issue statutory notices, conduct valuations, identify all interested parties and provide compensation before possession. The suit relies on Article 40 of the Constitution and provisions of the Land Act, and seeks court orders to stop further construction or excavation until the dispute is resolved. The residents maintain that some affected property, including ancestral homes and graves, cannot be adequately addressed through monetary compensation alone.