President William Ruto has issued a directive for the Ministry of Energy to take decisive action against officials responsible for granting a license to the gas refilling company involved in the tragic Embakasi explosion.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for Chekalini ESP Market in Lugari, Kakamega County, on Saturday, the President accused the officials of incompetence and corruption for disregarding legal licensing requirements.
“The government officials who issued licenses for gas installations in residential areas, when it was clear that it was wrong…but because of incompetence and corruption they issued them and today we have injured and dead citizens,” he said.
“Those fellows involved, the ministry must immediately take action against them and they must be dismissed and prosecuted for the crimes committed.”
The President’s directive follows the revelation by the Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) that the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plant involved in the Embakasi tragedy was operating without proper authorization.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Interior counterpart Prof. Kithure Kindiki supported EPRA’s statement, disclosing that the company’s permit applications (submitted on March 19, June 20, and July 31) to construct a gas plant were all rejected for failing to meet the required standards.
Chirchir and Kindiki further revealed that the plant, which was illegally constructed at the specified location, had been demolished by EPRA twice—in March 2020 and January 2021—with the operators facing charges in court.
