Mohammed Dewji commits $496 million to Kenyan oil refinery and Tanzanian graphite mine

Tanzania’s richest businessman Mohammed Dewji pledged a US$100 million investment in Aliko Dangote’s planned US$17 billion oil refinery on Lamu Island, Kenya. The 700,000‑barrel‑per‑day plant is intended to supply Kenya and neighbouring Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan, reducing the region’s reliance on imported fuels. Dewji said, “We cannot be dependent on imports. We need to use resources and value‑add and refine and manufacture to be sovereigns.”

In a separate venture, Dewji’s MeTL Group announced a US$275 million (US$396 million total) investment in a Tanzanian graphite project aimed at producing battery‑grade material for electric‑vehicle batteries. The plan is to bring the mine into production within 18 months, exporting concentrate to China and working with European customers. Dewji remarked, “If you’re not in battery minerals, you’re missing out on the future.”