An assortment of gas cylinders set for refilling with counterfeit gas was confiscated in a crackdown in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) on Monday, February 21.
The crackdown was enforced in a joint operation by a multi-agency team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other law enforcement officers drawn from different authorities involved in anti-counterfeit operations.
The company, based in Nairobi's CBD, was accused of refilling empty gas cylinders with gas that has the potential of harming unsuspecting consumers.
According to the sleuths who raided the firm, it was established that the firm was operating without a valid license and have been refilling the cylinders without inspection and authorisation from the brand owners.
The law enforcement officers further reported that the company did not have scales and machines to establish if the cylinders were faulty or fit for use without posing any danger to the consumer.
The raid also revealed that the company supplied filled gas cylinders without any seals as directed by the government.
The employees who were nabbed during the operation were taken to Nairobi Area police station and are set to be presented in court even as the owner is also being sought to answer to charges that will be levelled against him.
Cases of accidents occasioned by poor handling of gas cylinders that are worn out and the illegal gas operators have been on the rise in the country.
The situation is compounded by increased illegal trade and claims of importation of substandard gas cylinders from neighbouring countries.
"The industry is growing but we must admit there are illegal players who endanger Kenyans. We are going on with the crackdown that we started together with the Director of Criminal Investigations and we hope to end the menace," the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) boss stated in the past interview.
In 2021, EPRA issued a warning to illegal cooking gas companies operating in Nairobi, listing eight companies running the unauthorised trade.
The authority noted that the companies refilled, traded and dealt with liquified gas cylinders of other licensees without written consent from the parent companies.
