Wandayi Tells Gachagua to Stop Attacking Public Officers Over LPG Crackdown

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his criticism of the government’s crackdown on illegal liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trade, warning against attacks on public officers enforcing the law.

Wandayi defended the ongoing enforcement operations, saying the government would not bow to political pressure or allow illegal LPG dealers and refilling cartels to undermine efforts to improve safety in the sector.

His remarks came hours after Gachagua accused authorities of subjecting small-scale gas traders to harassment, arbitrary arrests and seizures of LPG cylinders across the country.

Gachagua claimed that more than 200,000 cylinders had been seized between June and October 2025 and questioned what had happened to the confiscated cylinders. He further alleged that some of the cylinders had been diverted to private LPG businesses linked to politicians and state actors. The claims have not been independently established.

Wandayi rejected the allegations and said enforcement agencies were acting within a regulatory framework designed to curb illegal refilling and illicit LPG trade.

“The government will not succumb to pressure from politicians and cartels hell-bent to benefit from LPG illicit trade, even if they choose to work in cahoots with Rigathi Gachagua,” Wandayi said.

He said the crackdown would be intensified until all operators comply with the law.

“The crackdown on illegal LPG operations will be intensified until full compliance is achieved, with officers pursuing illegal LPG trade and illegal refilling of LPG cylinders very vigorously,” he said.

Wandayi said the enforcement is anchored in the LPG National Growth Strategy approved by Cabinet in October 2023 and the Petroleum (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) (No. 2) Regulations, 2025.

The regulations require LPG businesses to obtain the necessary licences and comply with licensing conditions. They also introduce measures to improve the identification and traceability of cylinders and restrict refilling and trading activities to authorised operators.

The CS said the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), working with the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), was responsible for enforcing compliance and dealing with illegal operators.

Wandayi said illegally refilled cylinders seized during operations are supposed to be documented in an inventory in the presence of the regulator, police and the affected operator.

He added that operators are given an opportunity to be heard before legal or administrative action is taken.

The CS also dismissed claims that a company had already been awarded a contract to operate the proposed central LPG cylinder tracking system.

He said procurement of the system would be conducted in accordance with public procurement laws and that the process was still far from completion.

The 2025 regulations provide for a central tracking system intended to record cylinder purchases and sales and improve accountability across the LPG supply chain.

Wandayi said the system would help make cylinders traceable and strengthen oversight of the sector.

Gachagua has maintained that small-scale LPG traders have been subjected to what he described as systematic harassment and arbitrary arrests during enforcement operations in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, the North Rift, Nyanza and Western regions.

The former Deputy President has called for the return of cylinders he says were seized from traders and demanded investigations into officials involved in the enforcement operations.

The dispute has placed the government’s LPG enforcement strategy under renewed scrutiny, with Gachagua questioning the conduct of enforcement agencies while Wandayi insists that the crackdown is necessary to protect consumers.

Wandayi warned that the government would continue pursuing businesses involved in illegal LPG refilling and trade.

The government maintains that the enforcement campaign is aimed at improving safety and ensuring compliance across the LPG sector, rather than targeting legitimate small-scale traders.