• On Thursday, Energy CS Davis Chirchir said the National Disaster Committee domiciled in Gachagua’s office, is yet to update him on the progress of compensation.
• Chirchir was responding to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who had demanded to know why the victims had not been compensated a month after the incident.
Image: FILE
The government has suspended the operating licences of 49 liquefied petroleum gas companies for non-compliance.
This came even as it emerged that victims of February 1 Embakasi explosion will wait longer for state compensation. At least seven people died and more than 300 others injured.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had promised the victims the government would support them.
“We will support the affected families as they come to terms with the tragedy and rise to rebuild their lives,” Gachagua said when he visited the site of the explosion.
On Thursday, Energy CS Davis Chirchir said the National Disaster Committee domiciled in Gachagua’s office, is yet to update him on the progress of compensation.
He spoke when appeared before the Senate Energy Committee.
“It is very difficult for every ministry to put a budget for this kind of incident. That is why the National Disaster Committee was created and put under the Office of the Deputy President to respond to such cases,” Chirchir said.
“From here, I am going to call the chairman of the (national disaster) committee to know where they have reached and I will confirm.”
Chirchir was responding to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who had demanded to know why the victims had not been compensated a month after the incident.
“Why have residents of Mradi, Embakasi East, not been compensated? A month is now over?” Sifuna posed.
Chirchir told the Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga-led committee that an audit done by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority on all 138 LPG plants in the country revealed some were not compliant.
Some were located within a radius of 200 metres from residential areas. They were rated risky and dangerous to residents and subsequently closed.
“To deter recurrence of such incidences [gas explosions], Epra has with immediate effect shut down all LPG facilities whose technical audit score was rated as ‘risky’ and ‘high risk’ – that is, facilities whose technical audit score was less than 50 per cent,” Chirchir said.
Epra closed eight gas facilities in Nairobi, two in Kiambu, two in Machakos, two in Nakuru, and one each in Uasin Gishu, Wajir, Murang'a, Meru, Marsabit, Busia, Bomet and Garissa.
The CS said there exists gaps in surveillance and crackdown on non-compliant facilities as the enforcement department is ill-staffed.
The CS said Derrick Kimathi, the proprietor of the illegal plant where the explosion happened, operated the premises as a garage during the day and LPG filling station at night.
Chirchir said Kimathi had three times applied to Epra to issue him with the licence to operate the facility.
Kimathi, the CS said, operated other facilities under Maxxis Nanyuki Energy and Klear Gas Suppliers.
Operational licences of all the firms have since been suspended.
“However, it is worth noting that Maxxis Nanyuki Energy has served Epra with a stay order dated February 16, 2024, from the High Court at Milimani terming the revocation of licence as illegal and unlawful,” he said.