Kenyans have been urged to only get liquefied petroleum gas from service providers licensed by EPRA in the interest of consumer and public safety and security.
Joseph Oketch, the director in charge of electricity and renewable energy at the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), said that while one of the government’s objectives is to ensure the country transitions to LPG, it is keen that the safety requirements are adhered to.
“When I talk about safety, I am talking about getting these services from our licensed service providers. If it is LPG, get it from our licenced providers because before we licence them, we have got our protocol and we make sure they comply to safety issues and best practices,” he said in Garissa.
“So the public must be warned that LPG is a highly flammable product and if not carefully handled, can cause catastrophic loss of lives and irreparable damage. We urge Kenyans to move away from a “fire fighting” approach to tragedies and adopt preventive measures to disasters.”
Oketch said among the things the regulatory agency does is to ensure their cylinders are periodically tested and are not weak, which in some instances have led to leakages and accidents.
He also cautioned Kenyans against illegal connections of electricity as well as using unlicenced operators to carry out connections.
“As EPRA, we are saying always involve KPLC when getting connection,” Oketch said.
He said EPRA is proposing the regulation because it is the one which covers the end use of electricity in the country.
The regulation will govern how the wiring will be done in the houses, premises, institutions, factories and any other place where electricity is consumed.
It also entails how electrical workers and contractors gives EPRA the framework for licensing them.
by STEPHEN ASTARIKO
