Two companies in Kitengela, Kajiado County have been closed down after inspection by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)
One of the facilities scrutinized during these inspections was Proto Gas, a company engaged in the wholesale and retail of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It was discovered that Proto Gas operates a container depot situated within a residential area, violating conditions stipulated in its license from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
In response to this breach, NEMA ordered the immediate cessation of gas storage operations at the facility.
The company has also been directed to develop and implement a comprehensive risk management plan in the short term and relocate its operations to designated commercial areas within Kitengela, in accordance with EPRA’s stipulations.
Heri Millers, also within Kitengela, was closed down for operating without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license.
According to NEMA, this facility had previously ignored an Improvement Order. A senior staffer has since been arrested.
The inspection comes in the wake of a gas storage facility explosion in Nairobi’s densely populated Ngara area. In 2023, a massive explosion of a gas tanker in Embakasi Kware area also left Nairobians in panic.
The incidents led to arrests within regulatory bodies such as NEMA.
