This archive report was first published on 23 September 2019.
Kenya's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) retailers can breathe a sigh of relief after a section of firms dealing in the product called off an impending strike.
The decision comes after the firms, under the Energy Dealers Association (EDA), reached an agreement with the government to rein in police officers who had been harassing them.
According to EDA Secretary General Kepher Odongo, the government has promised to rein on any harassment during the transition period set to run up to December 31, 2019.
‘We will not go on strike as we had earlier said after holding a fruitful meeting with Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho on Friday,’ said Mr Odongo on Sunday.
The strike was called off after the government agreed to rein in police officers who had been arresting LPG traders for operating without a trading license.
However, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Pavel Oimeke said that the transition period which ends on December 31, 2019, was to allow for the retailers already in the market prior to the gazettement of the new Regulations to obtain requirements for licenses, apply for the licenses and obtain them.
‘Accordingly, in order to avoid a supply crisis in the LPG cylinder retail sector, all concerned stakeholders are hereby informed that any retail LPG license enforcement shall be guided by the Authority at the expiry of the transition period,’ said Mr Oimeke in a public notice.
