Ex-KDF Soldier Warns Dangote: “Don’t Hurry” to Start Kenya Refinery, I Will Be President by February

A former Kenya Defence Forces soldier, Patrick Osoi, has told Aliko Dangote to slow down on his Kenyan project. Osoi claims he will become president of Kenya by February next year. He also says Dangote will then head back to Nigeria. As a result, the Dangote Kenya refinery has drawn an unexpected political challenge just weeks after its groundbreaking.

Osoi addressed the billionaire directly in a video message. “Please, don’t hurry up to start a refinery,” he said. He then explained his reasoning. By next February, he claimed, he will be sworn in as the country’s president. “You’ll be back going to Nigeria,” he told Dangote. Sojworldnews could not confirm where or when he recorded the message.

Moreover, Osoi argued that Kenyans can handle the project themselves. “We also have business people in this country who can do that job,” he said. “That’s what we stand for,” he added. His message therefore mixes a personal political promise with a call for local ownership of the energy sector. However, he offered no details about who these business people are or how they would raise the money.

His timeline also raises questions. Osoi has no official power today, and Kenya’s next general election is due in 2027. Nothing in the video explains how he would take office by February. Consequently, readers should treat his claim as a personal prediction, not an established fact.

The timing of the remarks still makes them notable. Dangote and Kenyan President William Ruto broke ground on the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery on September 30, 2026. According to AFP, the $16 billion plant will rise at Lamu on the Indian Ocean coast. Dangote says it will have a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day. Ruto, for his part, described the project as a mega development that will transform the region’s energy and industrial landscape.

Leaders from across the continent attended the ceremony. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni joined Ruto and Dangote, according to AFP. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo also stood among the guests. In addition, Dangote told reporters that the plant marks a new chapter in Africa’s industrial journey. He also said it would reduce the continent’s reliance on imported fuel.

Dangote did not arrive at Lamu overnight. In May, he told the Financial Times that he was leaning toward Mombasa and said the final decision rested with Ruto. Reuters reported that he estimated the cost at between $15 billion and $17 billion. Meanwhile, the plan caused friction with Tanzania, which had been considered as a possible host. Eventually, the project moved to Lamu, where Kenya is also building a major port.

Questions about the refinery remain, even among supporters. AFP reported doubts about where the plant will source its crude, since East African countries are only beginning to develop significant reserves. Dangote answered that the refinery will buy from several sources, including the Middle East and the United States. He added that it will be ready as Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique raise their own production. Consequently, the debate over the project’s economics continues.

Osoi did not say whether he would cancel, renegotiate, or take over the Dangote Kenya refinery if he won office. It is also unclear how a future administration would treat a project that Ruto’s government has already launched with state backing. Nobody from the Dangote Group has responded to his comments in the material available to us.

For now, the remarks remain the claim of one man who says he will lead Kenya soon. Sojworldnews has not verified his political plans or his chances. Nevertheless, his message shows how quickly the refinery has become a talking point in Kenyan politics. Sojworldnews will update this report if Dangote or the Kenyan government responds.