The owner of an illegal gas filling plant in Embakasi that exploded over the weekend, killing at least 6 and injuring more than 200 has surrendered to the police.
Citizen Digital understands that the businessman turned up at the police and was grilled by detectives as the probe into the tragedy unfolds.
Police have been pursuing seven suspects in connection with the explosion, including Derick Kimathi, the proprietor of the illegal gas filling plant; Steve Kioko, Kimathi’s partner; the driver of the truck that is suspected to have caused the explosion whom they are yet to confirm whether he escaped or was among the casualties; and four NEMA officials who were suspended for allegedly issuing a license illegally to Kimathi’s company.
Through his lawyer, Kimathi told police that he is in the business of transporting LPG products and that last year he made applications to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to get a license to operate a gas filling plant in the area but the applications were rejected.
He also denies reports that the site where the incident occurred was an illegal gas plant stating that for years it had been a garage.
However, what is not clear is why the garage specialised in repairing only trucks transporting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
“Our client had not been operating a gas filling operation in that place, the premises in the last few years has been operating as a garage and till Thursday it was still operating as a garage, the motor vehicle that caused this incident was trespassing into his property without his knowledge and consent,” said the lawyer.
He argues that he shelved the idea after EPRA rejected his applications on grounds that the site was not viable due to its closeness to the public.
Residents say the place was an illegal gas filling plant which was preferred for its cheaper gas.
“Leakage hukuwa wakati wakioperate most times huwanga wanaoperate usiku juu kazi yangu huwa wanaleta kutoa, walikuwa wanajaza macylinder mingi ilikuwa malori ilikuwa kuletwa na malori,” one resident, Philip Juma, told Citizen TV.
Following the incident, the government announced a raft of measures to ensure compliance in the sector.
They include undertaking a fresh risk assessment for all LPG plants with the view of closing all non-compliant sites, demolishing all illegal sites, an immediate rollout of a government LPG growth strategy and strengthening the LPG data verification framework, among other measures.
