Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said his group is prepared to face legal challenges surrounding its planned $16 billion refinery in Lamu, Kenya.

Dangote made the remarks during a fireside chat with investors at the Nairobi Securities Exchange as opposition to the refinery project moved to court.

The dispute centres on land earmarked for the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery. A Kenyan court has ordered parties to maintain the existing status quo on parts of the disputed land until a hearing scheduled for October 14.

The case was brought by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim the land is part of their ancestral heritage and has been occupied and cultivated by their families for generations.

Despite the legal challenge, Dangote said the development would not deter the group from pursuing the project.

“Anyone who wants to cause trouble, we are ready for them,” he said, recalling a previous legal dispute involving one of his businesses in Senegal.

The Dangote Group also clarified that the court order had not stopped the planned groundbreaking ceremony, although activities on the affected portions of the site could be restricted pending the October 14 hearing.

The proposed refinery is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel to Kenya and other countries across East Africa.

Dangote has estimated the project will cost between $15 billion and $16 billion, with completion targeted for 2030. The facility is expected to process crude from Kenya’s Turkana oilfields alongside supplies from other parts of Africa.

The Lamu project is part of Dangote Group’s broader expansion across Africa and is modelled on the company’s refinery in Lagos, Nigeria.