Aliko Dangote has revealed how President William Ruto, then Kenya’s deputy president, personally drove him to meet former President Uhuru Kenyatta after an earlier attempt to establish a cement factory in Kenya ran into what the Nigerian billionaire described as corruption-related obstacles.
Dangote made the revelation on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, during an interview in Nairobi ahead of the groundbreaking of his planned East Africa Oil Refinery in Lamu County.
According to Dangote, his group had explored setting up a cement manufacturing plant in Kenya but the investment eventually stalled after an unnamed government official allegedly demanded a kickback. Dangote said he refused to pay because his company would not engage in bribery.
He recalled that Ruto, who was deputy president at the time, decided to intervene after learning about the problem.
Dangote said Ruto personally put him in his car and took him to then President Uhuru Kenyatta so that he could explain what had happened.
The billionaire did not identify the official he said had demanded the alleged bribe. He also declined to disclose what happened after the meeting, saying he did not want to damage people’s reputations.
Dangote explained that his companies operate under strict corporate requirements and that paying bribes could expose the business and its executives to serious legal consequences.
He said his position was that an investor should not have to pay a bribe to enter a market while bringing jobs, investment and economic opportunities.
The cement project had been associated with Dangote’s plans to enter Kenya’s construction materials industry since around 2014. Nation reported that the proposed investment was later put on hold amid allegations involving demands for kickbacks connected to a licence for limestone, a key raw material for cement production.
Ruto later publicly confirmed Dangote’s account of his intervention. Speaking in Kilifi on September 29, the president said Dangote’s earlier cement investment had been frustrated by disputes involving shares, regulations and other demands.
Ruto said such experiences had contributed to the loss of major investment opportunities for Kenya. His remarks came as the government prepared for the launch of Dangote’s much larger refinery project in Lamu.
The planned refinery represents a major change in Dangote’s investment relationship with Kenya. The project is valued at about KSh2 trillion to KSh2.2 trillion, with Dangote describing the investment as a $16 billion venture. It is designed to process about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and other regional markets.
Dangote has said the refinery could directly create about 60,000 jobs, while additional opportunities are expected in industries linked to petroleum processing, chemicals, fertiliser production and other manufacturing activities.
Lamu was not initially Dangote’s preferred location. He previously considered Tanzania’s Tanga before discussions with Ruto and Kenyan officials led him to examine Lamu. He later said the area’s deep-water port and strategic position were important factors in the final decision.
The refinery has, however, faced a land dispute involving 133 Lamu residents. The residents have challenged aspects of the project over land ownership, compensation and related concerns. A Kenyan court ordered parties to maintain the status quo while the case proceeds, although the planned groundbreaking has gone ahead.
The latest revelations therefore connect two very different chapters of Dangote’s Kenyan investment story: an earlier cement project that failed amid allegations of corruption and a multibillion-shilling refinery now moving into construction.
For Dangote, the refinery represents a renewed commitment to Kenya after the collapse of his first major investment attempt.
For the government, the project is being presented as a major industrial and energy investment with potential effects extending beyond Lamu to the wider East African market.