In response to a recently circulated video on social media showing Kenyans conducting tests on fuel products from various petrol stations in Nairobi that exposed adulterated content, the government has finally addressed the issue.
Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV on Monday night, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi revealed that the attention of his ministry had been drawn into the matter.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government is actively investigating the issue through the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and will release a statement once the investigation is complete.
”I saw some young Kenyan going around purportedly testing samples of petrol from some petrol stations, it is an issue that we take very seriously even though EPRA and other relevant government agencies are looking into it,” Wandayi stated.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi during a past media engagement at his office in Nairobi on November 25, 2024.
Wandayi was responding to a question about the government’s actions regarding the alleged poor quality of fuel and gas stocked across petrol stations and whether an audit would be conducted.
However, the CS did not provide a detailed explanation of how the government will carry out the audit on the affected petrol stations accused of malice.
Additionally, the CS revealed that he recently signed a raft of petroleum and gas regulations that once ratified by the relevant government agencies, will seek to regulate the gas and petroleum industry.
This, according to Wandayi, was a response to instances where the public has been exposed to dangerous establishments such as gas refiling plants within residential estates.
Such incidents have resulted in the loss of lives, with the most recent tragedy having been in Embakasi where over 165 people sustained serious injuries and two others lost their lives.
”I have just signed regulations to deal with Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution and the supply chain generally,” Wandayi announced
”Those regulations once they pass through the requisite process including the Attorney General, will be eventually gazetted and they will deal with once and for all, all these issues,” he added.
In December last year, EPRA shut down six stations for non-compliance, with four paying penalties and one case still pending in court. The agency also reported conducting a total of 5,970 tests between October and December 2024 across 1,295 petroleum sites.
”From the tests, 1,284 (99.15 per cent) of the sites were found to be compliant. However, tests from 11 (0.85 per cent) sites turned out to be non-compliant,” EPRA stated.
EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo speaking in February 2024
EPRA