Twist As Owner Of Gas Plant In Embakasi Explosion Claims It Was A Garage

Derrick Kimathi, the owner of the property at Mradi village in Embakasi where a huge explosion occurred on Thursday night, February 1, has broken his silence over the accident that killed four people and injured close to 300 others.

Speaking to NTV on Saturday, February 3, Kimathi's lawyer, Wandugi Karathe, pointed an accusing finger at a motor vehicle which he alleged gained access to the property of the gas plant owner illegally.

He added that Kimathi was currently pursuing the details of the vehicle which he claimed caused the accident, even as Kimathi himself is currently being treated as a fugitive in connection to the deadly accident.

“The motor vehicle that caused this incident was trespassing into his [Mr Kimathi] property without his knowledge and consent and he is actively pursuing the details of that vehicle so that it can be exposed to the police,” he said.

Astoundingly, Karathe also claimed that Kimathi's property was being used as a garage at the time of the explosion and not as a gas-filling station.

He however admitted that Kimathi had applied for a licence to operate a gas-filling plant in 2023, which was rejected.

“Because he knows the regulations of a gas filling plant, he did not commence that business, and the premises continued to be used as a garage where cars are repaired,” the lawyer added.

Karathe also refuted claims that Kimathi was in hiding, avoiding detection by multiple security agencies looking for him in connection with the explosion, alleging that he had been communicating with some police officers and was willing to cooperate with authorities actively investigating the case.

“He is available, he is within the public and has been in touch with sections of the police. Our client is willing to fully cooperate with the police in the course of their investigation but request that the media refrains from publishing any unverified misstatements that are prejudicial to him,” he pleaded.

Previous reports that immediately preceded the blast had revealed that two mechanics were linked to the case as residents claimed to have spotted them repairing a broken-down car close to the site of the explosion.

The embattled residents claimed that they detected the scent of leaking gas at around 10 pm, to which they warned the mechanics against jump-starting the car as the sparks would have caused a fire. However, the mechanics proceeded, leading to the fatal explosion.

Meanwhile, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) stated that it did not grant a licence to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and filling plant, adding that it turned down three applications for construction permits because the owners did not meet the requirements for running an LPG plant.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on its part revealed that four of its officials, who have since been suspended, had issued an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) licence unprocedurally, with conditions that the owners ought to have met, including compliance with various laws in the construction of the LPG plant.

Following the accident, the Ministries of Interior and Energy announced that they would embark on fresh risk assessments of all LPG gas plants in Kenya, prioritizing the demolition of those found to be non-compliant.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua meanwhile directed investigative agencies to enforce regular inspections in Nairobi garages, which he claimed were being used as smokescreens for illegal gas and fuel businesses.

"Sometimes our drivers come to these garages to sell. The drivers are paid Ksh1,000 yet the garages take fuel worth Ksh10,000. That driver came here to dump gas illegally. Now see the pain and destruction it has caused. Let us be responsible and stop shortcuts in life because they cannot work," the DP stated.

The Embakasi explosion death toll on Saturday rose to four after a patient succumbed at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) while undergoing treatment for burns.