NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – The government has stepped up its crackdown on illegal LPG refilling and trading as it moves to curb safety risks linked to unregulated gas cylinders.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said illegal LPG operations remain a major public safety concern, citing past fires involving illegally traded or refilled cylinders that have caused deaths.
Wandayi said the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) is working with the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to identify and seize illegally refilled cylinders.
“When illegally refilled cylinders are found and confiscated, due process is followed, including inventory taking that is witnessed by the authority, and that is EPRA, the police and the operator involved,” Wandayi said.
He said affected operators are given an opportunity to be heard before administrative or legal action is taken.
The government also plans to introduce a system to track LPG cylinders across the supply chain, including through serialization, to improve accountability and help curb illegal refilling and trading.
Wandayi said procurement of the tracking system had not yet been completed but the government would continue with enforcement despite resistance from affected businesses.
“And the crackdown on illegal LPG operations will be intensified until full compliance is achieved,” he said.
The crackdown comes as demand for LPG continues to rise in Kenya, increasing the need for tighter regulation of the sector.
EPRA data shows LPG consumption reached 414,861 metric tonnes in the year ended June 2025, up 15 percent from 360,594 tonnes in 2023.
Per capita consumption rose to 7.9 kilogrammes in 2024/25 from 7.0 kilogrammes in 2023.
Demand has continued to grow, with LPG consumption rising 14.59 percent to 251,425 metric tonnes between July and December 2025, from 219,416 tonnes in the same period of 2024.
Monthly consumption stood at 42,539 tonnes in December 2025, compared with 42,708 tonnes in August.
