Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Monday, July 5 listed nine brands of gas cylinders as illegal.
The nine are said to be owned by entities that have allegedly engaged in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) malpractices, according to EPRA.
The statement EPRA sent to the newsrooms read: “Section 11 (e) of the Energy Act 2019 mandates EPRA to develop and enforce guidelines that ensure compliance with the Act and the licensing conditions stipulated in the Act. Further, the Petroleum Act 2019 and the Petroleum (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Regulations 2019 require persons to undertake the business of LPG in accordance with the terms and conditions of their valid licenses issued by the Authority.”
The listed brands include City Gas, Green Gas, More Gas, Eco Gas, Top Gas, Valley Gas, Moto Gas and Naku Gas.
The nine brands which are already in use in Kenya were listed following random surveillance and enforcement exercises EPRA carried out between April and June 2021.
Some of the malpractices flagged by EPRA included refilling, trading or otherwise dealing with LPG cylinders of other licensees for gain without the said licensee’s prior written consent, supplying into the market filled LPG Cylinders without seals and authorizing unlicensed vehicles to load at the facilities.
Meanwhile, Kenyans are set to pay through the nose after the recent introduction of new taxes on LPG. The taxes have pushed the price of gas up the roof after a 16 percent VAT was introduced from 1st July, 2021.
The nee cost of gas cylinders has risen by up to Ksh350.