Dangote Industries Limited has commenced preliminary work on its proposed $17 billion, 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Kenya, marking a significant milestone in its expansion into East Africa.

The company disclosed that the project has moved beyond the planning stage, with the project site already selected, soil investigations ongoing and engineering and design activities underway ahead of construction.

The refinery will be located on Lamu Island along Kenya's coast and is expected to become East Africa's largest refining facility upon completion, projected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring countries and reduce the region's dependence on imported fuels.