This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
On Saturday, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) shut down and revoked the operating license of Swift Energy Distributors Limited due to alleged violations of safety regulations on four occasions.
According to EPRA, the revocation of the license followed an enforcement operation carried out by the authority at the company's operating base in Mavoko, Machakos, on June 25, 2020. The operation revealed that the company was in breach of the Petroleum (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Regulations, 2019.
EPRA has issued a stern warning to all LPG brand owners, facility owners, and traders that failure to comply with the regulations, particularly the requirement of obtaining prior written authorization or consent from an LPG cylinder brand owner, shall automatically lead to revocation of the operational license.
EPRA has also threatened to prosecute any dealer violating regulations. The company's owner, Talib Zein Salimin, was arrested on November 29, 2019, and was accused of refilling gas cylinders without consent of brand owners and transporting the gas cylinders without the required license.
The case against the company is still ongoing after EPRA declined the withdrawal request on the basis that the company was found to be non-compliant on several occasions.
