- Surge Energy Limited imported 79,998 cylinders 52,869 were found to be faulty.
- Allied East African Limited and Accurate Power Systems- supplied 11,132 and 15,056 gas cylinders respectively. All were found to be defective.
Image: HANDOUT
The Kenya Bureau of Standards has come under fire as MPs demanded answers on the circumstances that saw 78,0000 defective cylinders enter the Kenyan market.
National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee accused the standards agency of sleeping on the job and endangering the lives of millions of Kenyans.
The incident involved three gas manufacturing firms contracted by the State Department for Petroleum to supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas. This was for the rollout of the Mwananchi gas project in 2016, that targeted low-income households.
The National Oil Corporation of Kenya was engaged to distribute the gas cylinders.
In the project that has now become an audit query, Surge Energy Limited imported 79,998 cylinders, 52,869 of which were found to be faulty.
Two locals firms—Allied East African Limited and Accurate Power Systems—were also hired to supply 11,132 and 15,056 gas cylinders respectively. All the local supplies were all found to be defective.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu raised the anomaly in her 2020/21 audit report.
Furious MPs at the public watchdog committee on Thursday put to task Kebs managing director to explain how the defective cylinders found their way into the local market, despite the safeguards in place.
The lawmakers at the committee chaired by nominated MP John Mbadi, accused the agency of sleeping on the job after it emerged that Kebs did not subject the imported gadgets to any standard tests when they docked in the country.
Kebs acting managing director Esther Ngari was at pains to defend the state agency from what MPs claim was a serious lapse that risked thousands of lives.
“This cylinders are very good, they are being used in various households at the moment, but they can also be very dangerous if they are not handled well and you people know that,” Mbadi said.
“We need to amend the KEBS Act so that we can have punitive laws in place, so that all those who are dealing with certification can be jailed for life should they fail to do their job.”
The faulty cylinders were discovered following an inspection by an independent firm contracted at Sh10.12 million by the State department.
The inspection was prompted by concerns over the quality of the cylinders.
MPs David Kiplangat (Soy), Adow Mohamed (Wajir South), Mwangi Mutuse (Kibwezi West) and Nabii Nabwera (Lugari) called for stern action against individuals who failed to carry out due diligence and allowed the defective cylinders into the country.
“Could this be a similar case of internal conspiracy where you want to protect the former management which was indicted for releasing contaminated sugar?” Mutuse posed.
“You issue certification for goods imported in the host country and upon coming into the country, no testing is done at the point of entry. Mr chairman, we make sure that we make Kebs an example to others,” added Adow.
Kebs Head of quality assurance Bernard Nguyo in responding to issues raised by lawmakers admitted that they did not carry out inspections at the port of entry. This he said is because the manufacturer had demonstrated meeting the standards of the Kenyan market.
“This importation was done after we had issued the certification in the host country. We do not test every goods that comes into the company once they are given the standardisation mark,” he said.