NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto and his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir are expected to strike a deal to supplement crude oil supply for the recently launched Dangote East African Oil Refinery in Lamu.
The KSh 2.6 trillion refinery, whose construction began in October 2026 and is expected to be completed in 2029, will process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Where will Kenya get crude oil for Dangote Refinery?
Ruto said the government will supply crude oil from the Turkana oil project in the South Lokichar Basin, whose commercial production will begin in December 2026.
“We have agreed with Dangote that he will help us, as Kenya, to build a pipeline that will connect Lamu and Turkana so that we can bring the oil from Turkana to Lamu,” said Ruto, as reported by the Star.
However, the Turkana oil output is projected at 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day, which could not meet the required capacity of the refinery.
Will South Sudan oil support Dangote Refinery?
The head of state noted that talks are underway with neighbouring countries to supplement the source of crude oil, with the most recent being South Sudan.
On Sunday, October 4, President Salva Kiir embarked on a journey to Kenya’s capital for a scheduled high-level bilateral discussion with President Ruto.
According to the South Sudan government spokesperson, the meeting is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
“Today, His Excellency President Selva Kiir Mayadid is travelling to the Republic of Kenya for high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts, and those meetings are aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
“The two sides are also expected to discuss matters around economic and infrastructural cooperation, including the recent refinery launch in Lamu last week and the respective roles that South Sudan and Kenya will be playing in supporting the operation of the refinery,” said the spokesperson.
The South Sudan government further noted that the engagement reflects the importance of closer economic cooperation and the development of strategic regional infrastructure for the mutual benefit of both countries and the region at large.
South Sudan crude oil production capacity
According to a World Bank report for the first half of FY2026, South Sudan crude oil production rebounded to 154,000 barrels per day.
The country’s crude oil reserves are also estimated at 7 billion barrels, which the international lender ranked third across the African continent.
While speaking to journalists in Mombasa last week, Ruto emphasised that the Dangote East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu will not only use Kenyan crude oil, since it requires different types of crude oil to refine petroleum products.
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