Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has questioned a proposed oil refinery in Tanga, saying she was not aware of the project despite its announcement by her Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto.
The exchange followed a high-level meeting on Monday during President Ruto’s state visit to Tanzania.
“As we were speaking privately, I asked President Ruto to explain why he went ahead and announced a refinery project in Tanga while I was unaware of it. He now needs to explain to us why he made that announcement,” President Suluhu said.
Her remarks cast uncertainty over a proposal that had recently gained traction in East Africa, particularly after Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote signalled interest in establishing a large-scale refinery in the region.
Speaking at a summit in Kenya last month, Dangote said he was ready to replicate the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery if governments in the region offered support.
The refinery proposal had been framed as a possible joint venture involving Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, with President Ruto previously describing it as a step towards reducing dependence on imported petroleum products.
“We’re going to have a joint refinery in Tanga to benefit all of us because that refinery is going to take on board the oil from DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo), the oil from Kenya, the oil from South Sudan, and the oil from Uganda,” Ruto said last month.
However, Suluhu’s comments suggest that consensus among the key partner states may not yet have been fully secured.
In response, President Ruto defended the broader vision of regional industrialisation, saying discussions on the refinery had involved multiple leaders.
“The building of a refinery is a big opportunity for business and industrialisation. When I discussed with President Yoweri Museveni, our discussion was about how to industrialise our region using our resources,” Ruto said.
He added that Kenya and Uganda had expressed interest in investing, alongside other regional stakeholders.
“It is my belief, and that of the leaders in our region, that whatever raw materials we have should be used for the industrialisation of our region so that we can create jobs here,” he said.
The region remains heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products, exposing economies to global price shocks and supply disruptions. This has renewed calls for domestic and regional refining capacity.
Uganda is advancing plans for its own refinery in Hoima ahead of expected oil production, while Tanzania has positioned Tanga as a potential energy and logistics hub due to its coastal location.
The latest exchange has triggered scrutiny over coordination among East African leaders, particularly on large cross-border infrastructure projects and the process of consultation before public announcements.
