Owner of the illegal gas depot that exploded in Embakasi, DERRICK KIMATHI, says he was not running a gas refilling plant but a garage

Monday, February 5, 2024 - The owner of the illegal gas depot that exploded in Embakasi, Derrick Kimathi, claims he was not operating a gas refilling plant but rather a garage.

Derrick Kimathi, who is still on the run, through his lawyer Wandugi Kirathe, stated that he was operating a garage and that the explosion was caused by one of his clients who arrived with a lorry loaded with gas.

"Our client had not been operating a gas filling operation in that place, the premises in the last few years has been operating as a garage and till Thursday it was still operating as a garage, the motor vehicle that caused this incident was trespassing into his property without his knowledge and consent,” said the lawyer.

The lawyer has confirmed that Kimathi is in the business of transporting LPG products and that last year he made applications to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to get a license to operate a gas filling plant in the area but the applications were rejected.

He argues that he shelved the idea after EPRA rejected his applications because the site was not viable due to its closeness to the public.

However, residents claim that the location was an illegal gas-filling plant, which was favored for its cheaper gas prices.

The Kenyan DAILY POST