•KNCHR in a statement on Saturday further called for immediate and thorough audit of the extent to which LPG cylinders in Kenya comply with the required safety standards
•This comes after a gas explosion in Embakasi on Friday left three people dead and at least 280 others nursing injuries in several hospitals across the city
Image: COLLINS APUDO
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) now wants a taskforce formed to look into and advise on effective regulation of the LPG sector in Kenya.
In a statement on Saturday, KNCHR also called for an immediate and thorough audit of the extent to which LPG cylinders in Kenya comply with the required safety standards.
This comes after a gas explosion in Embakasi on Thursday night left three people dead and at least 280 others nursing injuries in several hospitals across the city.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said the storage and filling plant in Embakasi where an explosion occurred had no approvals to conduct business as all applications by the firm were rejected.
As a result, KNCHR is now calling for the immediate closure of the LPG refilling plant, a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, and any culprits to be brought to justice.
“KNCHR calls for the audit of all licensed LPG refilling plants in the country to determine their suitability and the adequacy of measures put in place to prevent gas leaks and explosions and to minimize casualties in the event of such occurrences,” KNCHR chairperson Roseline Odede said.
The commission raised concern that despite the rejection of the applications for licensing of the Embakasi plant by the EPRA, the plant nevertheless continued to operate.
“At this preliminary stage; the KNCHR calls for thorough investigations into the incident, access to remedy for victims of the tragedy and preventive measures against future occurrences,” Odede said.
“The KNCHR urges the public to be vigilant and bring to the attention of relevant authorities high-risk businesses operating near their places of residence,” she added.
KNCHR has lauded Kenya for being the first African Country to domesticate the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights through the development of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP -BHR).
Under the NAP-BHR, the State is expected to protect against business-related human rights violations.
It is expected that the State will ensure an adequate regulatory environment and effective enforcement of the existing regulations to minimize incidences of human rights violations.
Despite the adoption of the United Nations guiding principles, KNCHR raised concern about violations that businesses in Kenya continue to occasion.