Ruto Orders Sacking of Gov’t Officials Who Issued Embakasi Gas Plant with Licence

President William Ruto has ordered the sacking of state officials said to have issued licenses to an Embakasi Gas Plant that exploded on Thursday night.

Speaking in Lugali on Saturday morning, Ruto said the deadly incident was caused by corruption, lack of integrity, and greed among government officials.

Dr Ruto instructed the Ministry of Energy to ensure those implicated in the matter leave office and face charges.

He further expressed concern over the construction of a gas plant in a residential area.

“I want to say for the avoidance of doubt, the government officials who issued licenses for gas installations in residential areas when it was very clear that it was the wrong thing to do, but because of incompetence and corruption they issued licenses,” he said.

“Today we have injuries, we have Kenyans who have died, those fellows who are involved in this, the ministry must immediately take action against them and they must be dismissed and prosecuted for the crimes they have committed.”

The head of state said such individuals should not continue holding public offices.

The Thursday night blast has thus far killed three and left at least 280 with grave injuries.

The government on Friday said the blast was caused by incorrect refilling of the cylinders.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki, said the gas cylinders were refilled using direct manifold connections to the LPG tanker.

This massively increased the risk of leakage and eventual explosion, which claimed left three people dead and more than 300 wounded.

Property worth millions of shillings was destroyed in the fire.

“Preliminary findings indicate that on the fateful night, the refilling of LPG cylinders was done using direct manifold connections to the LPG tanker increasing the risk of leakage and explosion,” read the statement.

They said the government will now embark on demolishing all illegal gas storage and filling plants across the country among a raft of new measures to be implemented in order to curb similar future tragedies.

They added the government will conduct a risk assessment exercise for all LPG plants to ensure compliance, besides instituting punishment for operators found filling cylinders without authority from the brand owners.