Kenyan authorities raided and shut down four unlicensed petroleum storage sites in Nairobi’s Industrial Area early Wednesday morning, seizing critical evidence for prosecutions, the national energy regulator announced.
The pre-dawn raids were conducted jointly by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), the DCI, the Energy Police Unit, and the Administration Police Service.
Investigators successfully decommissioned the four makeshift sites and recovered various exhibits and records. The evidence will aid in building cases against the owners, who face criminal charges for operating without licenses under Kenya’s strict 2019 Petroleum Act.
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“Once investigations are completed, the owners will be charged with operating an unlicensed petroleum storage and handling facility under section 99(1)(l) of the Petroleum Act, 2019,” read EPRA’s statement in part.
EPRA urged the public to assist by reporting suspected illegal petroleum activities to EPRA tips hotlines and email addresses.
The four unlicensed depots had storage tanks posing significant environmental and safety risks. By shutting them down, authorities averted potential fuel spills, explosions and groundwater contamination in the congested industrial zone.
Recently, EPRA shut down seven Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) companies across Kenya for non-compliance and malpractice. The closures of sites in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kiambu happened between July and September during EPRA surveillance efforts across the country.
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