First Ship Carrying Dangote Refinery Machinery Docks at Lamu Port

A cargo ship docked at Lamu port on 26 September with the first consignment of heavy machinery for the Dangote East Africa Refinery.

MV Da Yang Bai He brought 2,930 metric tonnes of construction materials from China. It is the first physical cargo to reach the site.

The project is valued at KES 2.2 trillion. Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian billionaire, is leading it alongside Nairobi-based Centum Investment Group. When complete, the refinery is intended to supply refined petroleum products to the East African market.

The groundbreaking ceremony is set for 30 September. Kenya's President Ruto will attend with representatives from 14 other countries.

One early signal reached MarineRadar. Tracking of the ship LAMU, which shares its name with the port, climbed 5.4 times its normal 48-hour baseline in the days before and after the docking. Thirty-two unique users opened it during that window.