Kenya Railways bans gas and oil business in its estates following explosion in Ngara estate

By Antynet Ford

The Kenya Railways retirement scheme has announced the ban of gas, lubricants, oil, and any other business that is likely to cause a fire in the scheme estates following a dawn fire yesterday that burned a whole block, leaving several tenants homeless.

While making the announcement, Kenya Railways Chief Trust Secretary Isaac Sila said punitive actions would be taken against those who go against the order.

“The Kenya Railways staff retirement benefits scheme herein referred to as ‘the scheme’ do at this moment issue an order to entities legally doing business within  our estates are now prohibited from carrying any business  that is likely to cause fire including, lubricants, oils and gas.” Sila said in the order given.

“Punitive measures shall be taken against those who will not heed the same.” He added.

On Sunday, several business premises and a single residential block along Desai Road were reduced to ashes after a fire emerged from a gas explosion in a hotel near a gas supply business.

Sources preview the details told the corporate watch that the fire started at the hotel where an employee had been cooking when the gas cylinders that had just been dropped that morning for supply.

No casualties were reported during the dawn incident but the man who was cooking sustained an arm injury.

Fire engines from Nairobi City County arrived at the scene to contain the fire but due to a lack of water to put off the fire, they got assistance from the GSU tracks.

According to witnesses of the incident, late arrival of the fire engines and lack of water were the main causes of over thirty business units and the residential getting reduced to ashes.

“The fire engine tracks came to the scene very late. The ones from the county did not even have enough water and they got support from the GSU. It is sad because if they would come early, they would have saved a lot.” Mwangi explained to us.

The incident comes months after a gas-related tragedy earlier this year happened in the Mradi area of Embakasi claiming the lives of three people and leaving 280 injured.

The Embakasi explosion was caused by a leak on a gas cylinder truck and sparked calls for accountability over the operation of gas plants within residential areas against established regulations.

During the incident, Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja announced the immediate closure of gas refilling stations within a 200-meter radius of residential premises

Yesterday Ngara gas explosion incident reignited concerns over the safety of fuel and gas handling facilities in densely populated areas with calls for stricter regulations and swift action to deter such incidents.