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Dangote refinery jobs adverts circulating on Facebook, offering 3,906 posts at the planned Lamu refinery, are fake, according to fact-checker Africa Check. The adverts listed 1,870 general labourers, 750 brick masons, 412 electricians, 221 plumbers, 179 tile setters, 157 welders, 142 iron workers, 110 carpenters and 65 excavator operators, and asked applicants to email CVs by 14 October 2026.
Africa Check said on 19 October that it found no such vacancies on Dangote Group’s official careers portal or its Facebook and X accounts, and that the adverts used Outlook and Gmail addresses instead of the group’s official dangote.com email domain.
Why Dangote refinery jobs are a magnet for scams
Construction of the refinery began on 30 September 2026 when President William Ruto and Aliko Dangote broke ground in Lamu. The plant is planned to process 700,000 barrels of crude a day. Expectations of large-scale hiring are high: the chair of the National Assembly’s National Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee, Adan Yusuf Haji, said on 1 October that Dangote had indicated it would hire 60,000 employees in different cadres once the refinery is operating, as reported by Nairobi Leo. The committee said it would oversee recruitment to ensure diversity and local priority, including during construction.
That gap between expected jobs and actual adverts is what scammers exploit. The project has also faced legal challenges; a Malindi court earlier declined to halt work on the KSh 2.2 trillion refinery.
Red flags in the fake adverts
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Gmail or Outlook address for applications | Large employers recruit through their own domain or portal |
| No link to an official careers portal | Real adverts can be traced to the company’s site |
| Thousands of posts with no job descriptions | Genuine adverts list duties, qualifications and terms |
| Missing or vague deadlines | Real adverts give a dated closing time |
| Requests for fees for “processing”, medicals or training | A classic advance-fee scam |
How to check a refinery job before applying
- Look for the vacancy on the company’s own careers page or verified social accounts.
- Check that any email address ends in the company’s domain.
- Never pay to apply, and never send ID copies, bank details or M-Pesa PINs to an unverified address.
- If a recruitment agency is involved, check it is licensed by the National Employment Authority, and know the legal limits on agency fees.
- Use listings that are checked against official sources, such as this board of verified jobs in Kenya, and set up job alerts so a real refinery advert reaches you when it is published.
What it means for job seekers in Lamu and the Coast
Construction projects of this size usually hire through main contractors and subcontractors rather than the owner alone, so genuine construction-phase jobs may be advertised by contractors. Treat any advert as unverified until it can be traced to Dangote Group or a named contractor’s official channel. Investors following the project’s financing can read our Dangote GDRs explainer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dangote recruiting for the Lamu refinery?
Africa Check found no vacancies for the Lamu refinery on Dangote Group’s official careers portal or social accounts as of 19 October 2026. The viral adverts for 3,906 posts are fake.
How many jobs will the Dangote refinery create in Kenya?
MPs on the National Cohesion committee said on 1 October that Dangote indicated 60,000 employees once the refinery operates. No official recruitment schedule has been published.
How do I report a fake job advert?
Report it on the platform where you saw it, and report any loss to the police or the DCI. Do not send money or documents.
Sources: Africa Check, 19 October 2026; Nairobi Leo report of the National Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee, 1 October 2026.
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