Kenya: Fuel Leak in Tassia After Contractor Drills Into Mombasa-Nairobi Pipeline

What the report says

Kenya Pipeline Company said it shut down a section of its Mombasa-Nairobi petroleum pipeline after it was punctured during drilling work near Tassia, off Outer Ring Road in Embakasi, Nairobi. The incident involved Line 5, the major fuel corridor linking the coast to Nairobi, and was reported to have happened around 9 a.m. on Monday, November 9, according to Capital FM, which AllAfrica republished.

KPC said the drilling was being carried out by a contractor working for the Kenya Railways Corporation. The company said it moved quickly to isolate the affected section, send technical staff and fire-safety teams to the site, and work with security and emergency agencies to cordon off the area and manage the leak. The company also said police were involved and that the drill rig operators were assisting with investigations.

The utility did not immediately say how much fuel escaped, how serious any environmental impact may be, or how long repairs would take. It also did not say whether fuel deliveries to Nairobi would be disrupted. The report notes that Line 5 is a key part of Kenya’s petroleum supply system, with the pipeline carrying products from Mombasa inland to Nairobi and beyond, so any damage raises concerns about supply continuity and safety around densely populated infrastructure corridors.