A Senate panel has issued a summons to Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) boss Daniel Kiptoo regarding the recent gas explosion tragedy in Embakasi, Nairobi, which claimed the lives of 10 individuals.
Scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy Committee on Tuesday, the two senior officials are expected to provide insights into the circumstances surrounding the explosion. The lawmakers have also threatened to censure Chirchir and Kiptoo, citing what they perceive as professional negligence and a lax approach to handling the incident.
The summoning follows the absence of both officials during a previous hearing, prompting the committee, led by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, to demand urgent explanations regarding the tragic event.
Wamatinga emphasized the gravity of the matter, stating, “This is a very serious matter and the CS must come to tell us not only what he is doing for the victims but also how he plans to prevent future incidents.”
Chirchir, in a letter of apology to the committee, cited overseas travel as the reason for his absence, while expressing the need for swift action in response to such incidents.
The explosion, which occurred on February 6, involved a truck carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders in Embakasi’s Mradi estate, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and significant property damage. Authorities revealed that the LPG refilling plant operated without approval from EPRA.
The committee aims to investigate why the Ministry and EPRA permitted the gas filling station to operate in a residential area, with Senator Mungatana highlighting the public demand for accountability beyond mere legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, present at the meeting as a committee friend, disclosed that the death toll from the explosion had risen to 10, with over 300 individuals injured.
Senator Oburu Oginga criticized the CS for contempt for failing to appear before the committee.
Committee chair Wahome Wamatinga asserted the need for rigorous measures to prevent future disasters, emphasizing the recurrent nature of gas explosions and illegal LPG filling stations nationwide, attributing such incidents to negligence by regulatory agencies.
Senator Edwin Sifuna highlighted potential dangers lurking in residential areas due to incompetence or neglect by the ministry and EPRA, urging comprehensive action to address these hazards.
Senator Danson Mungatana called for a censure motion against the CS should he continue to evade the committee’s summons.
