Kenya: Govt Steps Up Crackdown On Illegal LPG Trade

What the report says

Kenya’s government has intensified action against illegal LPG refilling and trading, according to Capital FM’s report republished by AllAfrica. The move is aimed at reducing safety risks tied to unregulated gas cylinders, which officials say have been linked to past fires and fatalities. The announcement was made in Nairobi by Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi.

Wandayi said the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority is coordinating with the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to trace and confiscate cylinders that have been illegally refilled. He added that seizures are being handled through formal procedures, including inventory checks witnessed by EPRA, police and the operator involved, and that businesses affected by enforcement actions are allowed to respond before any administrative or legal steps are taken.

The government also plans to introduce a cylinder-tracking system, including serialization, to improve accountability across the LPG supply chain and make illegal trading harder. However, the procurement process for that system has not been completed, so enforcement is continuing in the meantime. The crackdown comes as LPG use keeps rising in Kenya, which officials say makes stronger oversight increasingly important. EPRA figures cited in the report show consumption has grown steadily in recent periods, reinforcing the policy focus on regulation and public safety.