NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 3 – Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has urged the Energy and Regulatory Petroleum Authority (EPRA) to conduct investigations on a suspicious gas filling plant in Thika.
The CS questioned whether the company had a valid license as the premises lacked any form of branding.
He further alleged that some police officers been spotted by locals receiving bribes from the unbranded refilling station.
“What I know is that it’s not branded. There is no name on the premises. What I do not know is whether it’s licensed. I suspect it is not,” he stated.
“What I do not know is whether the reports from locals that the police spent the whole day there receiving bribes are true. That is for you to verify,” he added.
The CS has urged the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to take immediate action to prevent the recurrence of a disaster similar to the one in Embakasi.
“Dear @EPRA_Ke this gas filling place next to Kiandutu Police Station in Thika is the next Embakasi,” he cautioned.
According to EPRA, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and filling plant in the Mradi area where there was a gas explosion that killed three people in Embakasi was illegal.
EPRA stated that the management of the LPG storage never provided a Qualitative Risk Assessment which helps indicate the effect of a typical blast and offers a review of the safety of the surrounding areas
