The blast at an illegal gas plant in Embakasi that claimed ten lives has prompted state agencies to develop measures to address such incidents.
The blast on February 1 led to an industry players’ meeting in Nairobi, on April 8 when officials described illicit trade in petroleum products a national security threat.
Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo called for new measures to curb the trade.
Omollo outlined the emerging security threats as illegal petroleum facilities, dumping of export petroleum products, adulteration of petroleum products, and syphoning of petroleum products along the highway.
He said a dedicated Energy Police Unit (EPU) was established to provide security to critical petroleum infrastructure.
Omollo said the fight against the illicit trade requires a multi-faceted approach involving government agencies, industry players, the private sector and the public.
The PS spoke during the State of the Petroleum and Oil Industry briefing for the first quarter of 2024 organised by the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (Piea).
The theme of the briefing was “Combating Illicit Trade in the Petroleum Sector as a Key Catalyst to the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”
“The sector continues to harbour rogue business people, while some elements within the law and enforcement agencies have been compromised. Thus, we need to enhance intelligence-led enforcement, harden prosecution measures, and capacity-building across enforcement agencies,” Omollo said.
The PS said it is necessary to protect critical energy infrastructure such as petroleum pipelines and storage facilities from natural disasters, terrorist and cyber-attacks, or sabotage for overall national safety and security.
“Access to reliable, quality petroleum products is deeply intertwined with national security as it influences security operations both in terms of fuel for vehicles and aircraft. It also is needed for police stations and communication systems, especially in far-flung areas not yet connected to the national grid.”
Omollo said the inability to trace the movement of petroleum products presents safety concerns to consumers and the public at large. It was necessary to deploy advanced technology for monitoring and surveillance of the supply chain to aid early detection of illicit activities.
“Rogue business people are ever changing their tactics and now leveraging technology to extend their territorial reach. We should not be left behind,” the PS said.
He also urged the petroleum sector to take advantage of the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) as coordinators of regular inspections and surveillance at the county levels.
Omollo further urged that stricter penalties be imposed on those involved in the illicit trade.
A crackdown should include government officials found to have approved illegal facilities, or turned a blind eye through corruption to unlicensed facilities and vehicles transporting petroleum products without valid permits, he said.
The PS also proposed a raft of measures including educating the public about the dangers of using illegally sourced LPG and petroleum products, saying this can help reduce demand for such commodities.
Training of law enforcement and regulatory personnel on the latest techniques for detecting and preventing illicit trade as well as involving petroleum industry players in developing solutions and reporting suspicious activities can lead to a more comprehensive approach to tackling the issue.
The PS said the government is supporting legitimate trade and movement of petroleum and its products, and not restraining it.
Growth of the petroleum industry in Kenya has increased the number of outlets, storage and refilling facilities. This has brought numerous challenges; the biggest one being unauthorised refilling sites of petroleum products, specifically Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
These sites refill cylinders belonging to licensed brand owners, as with the fire tragedy in the residential Mradi Area, Embakasi.
President William Ruto had also warned of rogue business people dealing in LPG and other petroleum products.
In March last year, a Rapid Result Initiative (RRI) was launched on rogue LPG dealers and petroleum businesses. It was handled by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in liaison with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), the EPU, and the DCI.
The RRI aimed to ensure compliance with licensing conditions at LPG and petroleum storage and filling plants and enforce safety measures to minimise the risk of accidents.
A nationwide registration of all LPG and petroleum businesses was conducted to enhance management and regulation.
As a result, 17,958 LPG and 6,188 petroleum facilities were registered. The head of investigations compliance at the Piea, Clive Mutiso said for enforcement to be effective, police should come on board.
To prevent future incidents, Epra emphasised strict measures, including the suspension of non-compliant facilities, fast-tracking criminal cases, engaging law enforcement, and collaborating with various agencies for intelligence-sharing and enforcement actions.
Following the Embakasi blast, the government announced it had shut down 49 unauthorised gas filling plants.
They were among 138 that have operating licenses, Energy Cabinet Secretary David Chirchir said. Of the licensed gas filling plants in Kenya, Nairobi contains 41.
Forty-nine of those 138 were shut down following the Embakasi incident for being too close to residential areas.
"All the facilities within 200 metres of residential areas have been sealed and shut down since the incident occurred," Epra director general Daniel Kiptoo said.