In Kenya, it is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss a project without first declaring your allegiance to the person associated with it.Take the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu, which has just had its groundbreaking ceremony.There is something curious about the way we discuss development projects in this country.A proposal is announced, an agreement is signed, a groundbreaking ceremony is held, and almost immediately, the conversation begins to take on a life of its own.Except that, increasingly, the conversation is not about the project. It is about the politician associated with it.In Kenya, it is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss a project without first declaring your allegiance to the person associated with it.Take the proposed Dangote refinery in Lamu, which has just had its groundbreaking ceremony.The project, estimated at $16 billion or Ksh.2 trillion, is intended to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily, with ambitions of strengthening regional energy security and reducing dependence on imported petroleum products.It is a project of considerable scale, with potentially significant economic implications.It also raises questions about land rights, environmental safeguards, financing and the distribution of its anticipated benefits.These are legitimate matters for public scrutiny, not necessarily arguments against the project itself.Yet, as the...
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