The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has defended its crackdown on illegal activities in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector following claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua alleging the targeting of small-scale gas dealers.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 26, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said the government’s actions are being implemented under the LPG National Growth Strategy and regulations governing the sector.
"The Cabinet in October 2023 approved the LPG National Growth Strategy meant to transition the populace from the use of biomass to the use of LPG, which is cleaner," the statement read.
Wandayi said one of the key areas covered by the strategy is legal and regulatory reform, with the government seeking to address illegal refilling and illicit LPG trade, which he said poses a threat to public safety.
"One of the key thematic areas in the Growth Strategy is legal and regulatory reforms in the LPG sector whose objective is to curb illegal refilling and illicit trade of LPG which is a threat to public safety," the statement added.
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According to Wandayi, the LPG sector is regulated by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority under the Energy Act Cap. 314 and the Petroleum Act Cap 308.
He said the government developed new regulations to operationalise the laws and implement the objectives of the LPG National Growth Strategy.
"The Regulations require that all persons undertaking LPG businesses have the necessary operational licenses and comply with the requisite license conditions. The Regulations further require that LPG Cylinders are clearly branded and only legitimate brand owners are allowed to refill and trade with the cylinders," the statement further read.
Wandayi said the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority works with the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to enforce compliance and combat illegal activities in the LPG sub-sector.
He said the enforcement process includes documentation of confiscated cylinders and giving affected operators an opportunity to be heard before any legal or administrative action is taken.
"When illegally refilled cylinders are found and confiscated, due process is followed including inventory taking that is witnessed by the Authority, the Police and the operator involved. Thereafter the operator is accorded a fair hearing before any legal or administrative action is taken," the statement explained.
Wandayi also addressed the planned central LPG cylinder tracking system, saying the 2025 regulations provide for its establishment to track purchases and sales of LPG cylinders and promote transparency and accountability.
The regulations also require LPG cylinders to be serialized to facilitate traceability.
Wandayi said procurement of the tracking system will be undertaken in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, Cap 412C, and clarified that the procurement process is not yet complete.
Wandayi further defended the government’s common petroleum import system, noting that Kenya has used the system for Super Petrol, Diesel and JET A-1/Kerosene for the past 23 years, with the arrangement providing benefits in terms of price and quality.
"It is for this reason that the Cabinet in December 2024 recommended the inclusion of Heavy Fuel Oil, Bitumen and LPG to the legal framework governing the common petroleum import system. Subsequently, the Petroleum (Importation)(Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (Legal Notice No. 60 of 2025) was published on 21st March 2025. The Ministry has been working with all stakeholders to ensure compliance," the statement noted.
Wandayi said the government’s priority remains ensuring LPG safety for consumers and called on politicians not to attack public officers and law enforcement agencies carrying out their duties under the law.
"LPG safety is paramount to the consumer, and for this reason we urge politicians to refrain from attacks to public officers and law enforcement agencies legitimately performing their duties as required by Law," the statement read.
Wandayi further warned that the government would not abandon the enforcement campaign against illegal LPG operations, despite political pressure or opposition from those benefiting from illicit trade.
"I wish to assure the public that Government will not succumb to pressure from politicians and cartels hellbent to benefit from LPG illicit trade. The crackdown on illegal LPG operations will be intensified until full compliance is achieved," the statement concluded.
Earlier Wednesday, Gachagua raised alarm over an alleged state-sanctioned crackdown on small-scale LPG traders across several parts of the country.
He claimed that hundreds of thousands of gas cylinders had been seized from small-scale retailers through an unregulated police operation.
According to Gachagua, a clandestine police unit was allegedly established in June 2025 and stationed in Hurlingham, Nairobi, at a facility he claimed was formerly the Heart Centre.
He alleged that the station, which he said was not gazetted, operated with an armory, a clandestine budget and a multi-rank police command.
According to Gachagua, between June and October 2025, the group conducted raids targeting small-scale gas retailers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos counties.
Gachagua also claimed that the alleged operations continued outside Nairobi, saying the unit was deployed to parts of the North Rift, Nyanza and Western regions.
He alleged that gas cylinders and vehicles were seized and taken to Kakamega Police Station in one such operation.
"When Mr. Eliud Lagat deployed this team to North Rift, Nyanza and Western Regions, they forcefully took away gas cylinders and vehicles and put them at the Kakamega police station; when they illegally wanted to prosecute the matter," he said.
Gachagua further alleged that some of the seized cylinders were being redirected to private LPG businesses allegedly linked to politicians and state actors.
"We have evidence that the seized gas cylinders are funneled to private and upcoming LPG enterprises owned by politicians and other state actors; one of these firms is in Kitengela and Kenyans saw these gas cylinders during the Ol Kalou by-elections; your guess is as good as mine on who this whole game leads to," he claimed.
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