NAIROBI, Kenya, May 5— President William Ruto has explained his announcement on the proposed construction of a regional oil refinery in Tanga, saying the plan is part of a broader strategy to accelerate industrialization across East Africa using locally available resources.
Ruto’s clarification come after Samia Suluhu Hassan publicly revealed that she confronted him over the declaration, noting she had not been informed beforehand.
Speaking during a joint press briefing at State House in Dar es Salaam, Suluhu said she sought clarification from her Kenyan counterpart regarding the announcement made at the Africa We Build Summit 2026 in Nairobi.
“While we were talking indoors, I confronted Ruto and asked him why he announced the construction of refinery in Tanga without my knowledge. Now he will explain himself why he announced it,” Suluhu said.
Responding to the concerns, Ruto said discussions around establishing a refinery in Tanga stem from ongoing regional consultations on how to leverage natural resources for economic transformation.
“Allow me to explain our discussion on Tanga as a place of refinery. I have been informed that my announcement has irked you a little bit. If I had known I would announce its construction in Mombasa because the building of a refinery is a big opportunity, for business, industrialization, petrochemical industries, fertilizer production and plastics industries,” Ruto said.
He noted that the idea emerged from talks with Yoweri Museveni on how East African countries can jointly utilize oil, mineral and agricultural resources to spur development.
“Our discussion was about how to industrialize our region using our resources… It is my belief and that of the leaders in our region that whatever raw materials we have should be used for the industrialization of our region so that we can create wealth, jobs and expand opportunities here.”
Ruto said Kenya, Uganda and other regional players, including Rwanda, have expressed willingness to invest in the project, positioning it as a shared economic venture.
“The good people of Tanzania are lucky that we are discussing how to build a refinery in Tanga. It is an investment the government of Kenya is willing to undertake, Uganda is willing to invest, and many other countries are ready to come on board,” he said.
He emphasized the strategic advantage of linking Tanga with Mombasa through existing infrastructure, including pipelines, to facilitate efficient transportation of crude and refined petroleum products across the region.
“From Tanga to Mombasa is a short distance, and since we already have a pipeline of refined product from Mombasa, we can use all our assets appropriately, transport crude from Uganda, refine it in Tanga, and distribute it across the region,” Ruto explained.
The Kenyan leader also framed the refinery as part of a wider push to end the export of raw materials from Africa, arguing that the current model deprives countries of jobs and economic value.
“It is not tenable anymore for us to export raw materials. We must be deliberate not to export jobs, not to export opportunities, but to create them here,” he said.
He warned that continued reliance on exporting crude oil while importing finished products exposes countries to global supply disruptions and inflationary pressures.
“It makes absolutely no sense for us to export crude oil and then struggle to import finished products with challenges in global supply routes,” he said.
Ruto said Tanzania is expected to play a leading role in advancing the initiative, which he described as a cornerstone for regional economic integration and industrial growth.