This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
On September 15, 2019, the Kenyan government took a significant step towards ensuring the safety of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumers by outlawing the gas cylinder pooling system. This move is expected to curb unethical practices such as illegal refilling, rebranding, and counterfeiting of gas cylinders.
The pooling system allowed faceless refillers to sell cylinders without regard for safety, denying brands the opportunity to monitor their products. However, with the new law, LPG brands are now in a better position to guarantee the safety of every cylinder they manufacture.
Under the new law, brands are compelled to add safety instructions onto each cylinder, including guides on what to do in case of a gas leak. This is part of the government's strategy to position LPG as Kenya's primary cooking fuel, thereby tackling health and environmental hazards posed by cooking using firewood and charcoal.
However, the effective implementation of the new law will require strict adherence to the LPG global industry best practices. According to the World LPG Association, industry best practice is driven by the issue of 'metal management', which describes the multi-functions of purchasing, supplying, maintaining, and controlling cylinders and other containers used to store and transport LPG.
Unfortunately, the elimination of bad practices within the market framework is a clear role between government and industry. While the industry works to provide sustainable modern energy supply, government should be aware of and work to rectify some of the more egregious practices of unscrupulous operators, including poorly designed and constructed LPG storage facilities.
One of the more destructive practices is illegal filling (decanting) of cylinders by someone other than the cylinder owner. This practice can result in no control over the condition of the cylinder and no control over the quality or quantity of the product in the cylinder, leading to serious risk of damage or injury to those handling, including the customer.
It is disheartening to note that in Kenya, both government and some energy dealers continue to abet this illegal practice. Although the dealers are expected to comply with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) safety regulations, illegally refilled gas cylinders still find their way to Kenyan homes. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) keeps looking the other way as illegal refilling continues unabated.
As the writer, a communications consultant who keenly follows the hydrocarbons sector, notes, 'the elimination of these bad practices within the market framework is a clear role between government and industry.'
