An arrest order issued by powerful Interior Ministry's Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho on individuals breaching the new cooking gas rules was revoked by Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) as reported by Business Daily on Tuesday, September 24.
Kibicho's rules dictated that refilling a gas without a brand owner's consent, transporting more than three gas cylinders in a car without regulatory directives, selling cooking gas without a receipt, and discharging bulk gas in a location that lacks regulatory approval were barred.
EPRA Director-General Pavel Oimeke asked the PS to allow the regulator to enforce the new rules in December 2019, highlighting that it was premature to apply them earlier as they had been introduced in July 2019.
"In order to ensure smooth regulatory transition and thereby avert a supply crisis in the LPG cylinder retail sector, the authority wishes to inform you that it shall lead all the enforcement exercises," Oimeke declared.
Oimeke also defended gas dealers insisting that a number of them had obtained their licences shortly before the laws were enforced by Kibicho.
He further described arrests made by police as premature, calling upon them to provide intelligence when they commence enforcing the law in December 2019.
"The authority further requests for the assistance of the National Police Service in undertaking surveillance and intelligence gathering where such enforcement activities are planned," Oimeke urged.
Police have already narrowed down on several LPG retailers in various areas and most of them have been presented in court.
However, despite the orders being revoked, severe penalties for illegal gas refiling and discharging bulk gas in a location that lacks regulatory approval were increased to a minimum fine of Ksh10 million.
Selling cooking gas without a receipt attracts a fine of Ksh50,000 while wholesalers who fail to keep gas cylinders records for at least one year face a fine of Ksh50,000.
