Govt Shuts Down Illegal Cooking Gas Plant Posing Danger to Kenyans

Police officers stand guard at a cooking gas refilling plant in Karatina, Nyeri County
Police officers stand guard at a cooking gas refilling plant in Karatina, Nyeri County
Daily Nation

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has revoked the license of a gas plant found to have contravened the law on four other occasions.

According to documents seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the authority carried out an operation at the plant located off Mombasa Road at Mavoko, in Machakos County on June 25. 

“The revocation follows an enforcement operation carried out by EPRA on 25th June 2020 where the holder of the licence, Swift Energy Distributors Limited of P.O. Box 56627- 00200 Nairobi located off Mombasa Road at Mavoko, in the County of Machakos, was found in breach of the Petroleum (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Regulations, 2019 or Legal Notice No. 100 of 2019″‘ said the Authority in a statement.

Gas cylinders on display by a roadside.
Gas cylinders on display by a roadside.
File

According to the authority, the company has failed to comply with the law on three other occasions. Substandard LPG gas cylinders are known to cause fires and loss of life.  

It is therefore important to know how to respond to instances of gas leaks and fires

In January 2020, the company requested EPRA to withdraw charges against four suspects accused of refilling gas cylinders without consent of brand owners. 

Talib Zein Salimin, the proprietor of Swift Energy Distributors, was arrested on November 29, 2019.

He was charged together with Musa Abdullahi Ali, Daniel Gichuhi Wachira and Evanson Gitau Kinuthia.

They were accused of refilling brands such as Pro Gas, Total Gas, K-Gas and Afri-Gas without consent. 

The proprietor also allegedly transported the gas cylinders without the required licence. 

However, the case is still ongoing after the authority declined the withdrawal request on the basis that the company was found to be non-compliant on several occasions. 

“The authority is also aware that such major offences constitute breach of terms and conditions of the licence issued to the accused and the Petroleum Act, 2019.

"The authority, therefore, has no intention of withdrawing the above subject case,” EPRA Director-General Pavel Oimeke explained in a letter copied to the Director of Public Prosecutions Noording Haji and Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Pavel Oimeke addresses the media on the new LPG cylinders interchange regulation
Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Pavel Oimeke addresses the media on the new LPG cylinders interchange regulation
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