Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-05 18:03:13
The owner of the illegal gas storage and refilling facility that exploded last Thursday is also the same person who owns another such facility in Laikipia East that was shut down by officials of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), as revealed by the Nation. The investigation showed that Maxxis Nyanyuki Energy and Maxxis Nairobi Energy are both owned by Derdols Petroleum Limited, which in turn is owned by Mr Derrick Kimathi and Derdols Tech Services Limited.
On Tuesday last week, two workers from Maxxis Energy Nanyuki, Mr Ibrahim Mureithi and Christopher Maina, were picked up by EPRA officials and arraigned in court the following day. Mr Mureithi was charged with refilling/trading in different brands of LPG cylinders without written consent, while Mr Maina was charged with transporting filled and empty LPG cylinders by road without a valid license from EPRA. A day after their arraignment, an explosion occurred at Mradi village in Embakassi, claiming six lives and injuring over 300 people.
The identity of the illegal gas storage and refilling facility was revealed by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) as belonging to Derdols Petroleum Limited, under the business name Maxxis Nairobi Energy, seeking to legalize its operations. The project was submitted to NEMA on July 29, 2020, and received reference number NEMA/PR/5/2/23790 (PSR 16708). The project was classified by NEMA as medium risk under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Review Amendment Regulations.
Concerns were raised about land ownership and evidence of consultation with the immediate neighbors of the Nyayo Estate Residents Association (NERA), leading to the suspension of four senior NEMA officials due to serious gaps in the issuance of the license. Three months later, the project proponent responded to the issues, and the project was approved.
However, residents have raised concerns about a potential gas leak at the plant, similar to the one that occurred before the explosion. The management of the plant has issued strict rules on how to operate and behave inside, including leaving all phones in the security room, ensuring no flammable items are carried, wearing proper protective gear, and driving vehicles at a speed of less than 10 kilometers per hour.
Despite claims of a gas leak, Nairobi County Police Commander Mr Adamson Bungei dismissed them, assuring residents that the tanks were empty and no gas leak was present. Businesses around the plant remained closed, and schools suspended studies due to fear of another explosion.
Locals have also reported that the facility was used as a garage during the day and as a gas refilling facility at night, with the night guards being busier compared to their daytime counterparts. Concerns have been raised about the due diligence process before issuing licenses, as many lives are at stake. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are still investigating, and arrests are expected to be made soon.
In conclusion, the owner of the illegal gas storage and refilling facility also owns another similar facility that was shut down previously. The operations of Maxxis Nairobi Energy were seeking legalization, but concerns have been raised about the due diligence process and potential safety hazards at the plant. Investigations are ongoing, and the community is still recovering from the impact of the explosion.
Read the original article on Daily Nation
