Kenyan President William Ruto has sought to clarify the diplomatic waters surrounding his proposal to build an oil refinery in Tanzania’s port city of Tanga, insisting the plan is rooted in a broader regional vision for East African industrialisation rather than any unilateral decision.
Ruto, who arrived in Dar es Salaam on Monday, May 4, 2026 for a State visit, made the remarks at the Tanzania–Kenya Business Forum. His explanation came in response to a public observation by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who said she had not been consulted when Ruto first announced the refinery project two weeks earlier at an infrastructure forum in Nairobi.
“While we were speaking inside, I asked President Ruto, ‘You went ahead and announced a refinery in Tanga, which I was not aware of?’ He will explain himself why he made that announcement,” President Samia told a joint engagement.
Ruto responded that the idea had emerged from regional consultations among East African leaders on how to jointly develop and process oil, mineral, and agricultural resources — rather than export them in raw form. “Because the building of a refinery is a big opportunity for business, for industrialisation, for petrochemical industries, fertiliser and plastics industries,” he said. He added, lightheartedly, that had he anticipated the diplomatic sensitivity, he might have proposed siting the refinery in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa instead.
The originally announced project was described as a regional facility intended to serve Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. Both governments are expected to continue negotiations on the project’s governance structure and financing framework.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz