Police describe gas plant as illegal but remain silent on why it was operating

Fire marshals put of a fire in Miradi area of Embakasi after a gas explosion. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Officers at the Embakasi Police Station who spoke on condition of anonymity said the police were aware of the illegal operations at this facility but could not act.

"We have tried but failed. The owners appear to be well connected and every time the police attempt to crackdown, we get calls from our bosses stopping us "said an officer at the station.

DCI investigators who took over the investigations yesterday have already come up with a preliminary report into the matter.

Sources close to the investigations told The Saturday Standard that the investigators had established that there was negligence on the operations at the gas refilling plant.

At the same time the DCI investigations revealed that the plant was operating without the required licences.

"We recommend the owners be charged with murder and also operating a business without a license," said a senior official in Nairobi.

The explosion at the illegal gas filling point in Mradi area of Embakasi came barely 12 months after the owner was found guilty by a Nairobi court after relevant agencies raided the plant.

Yesterday, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said operations at the facility had been stopped after investigations revealed that the operators were refilling gas cylinders of other brands without authority.

The Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) pointed an accusing finger on the judiciary for failing to press punitive action on those found flouting regulations.

General manager Wanjiku Muraya added that the owner of this facility had been charged in court on November 9, 2020.

The hearing of the matter was concluded on May 18, 2023 and the accused persons found guilty and convicted to one-year imprisonment or pay a fine of Sh500,000.

"Despite the above actions, the proprietor continued operating the illegal storage and refilling facility without even the bare minimum safety standard and qualified LPG personnel as required by the law leading to this unfortunate catastrophe which could have been avoided should the letter and spirit of the law have been followed "said Manyara in her statement.

This statement by PIEA appears to have put the spotlight on the courts and EPRA for the latest deaths.