Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has announced that the government will be distributing free Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinders across the country.
Speaking to fhe press on Friday, February 24, CS Chirchir stated that the cylinders will be issued to low income earners to grow the use of LPG across the country.
Further, he indicated that the LPG cylinders will have a capacity between 1kg to 5kg.
According to the CS, by eliminating the high initial purchasing cost, low income earners across the country will be able to afford refilling the cylinders, which are of a small capacity.
“The point here is to remove the cost of entry for our people who go to the mjengo, so that they are able to buy gas at one kilogram or two kilogram.
“This is not the 13 kilogram cylinder that selective people can afford. We want to ensure that there is a cylinder in every house of those living below the poverty line so that not using LPG, is not on account of not having a cylinder,” he said.
Also Read: Kenyans Warned of Fake Cooking Gas Cylinders
Mwanachi Gas Cylinders
Additionally, the CS referenced a previous failed project that the government dubbed the “Mwananchi Gas Cylinders” , which involved the distribution of free Gas cylinders, burners and grils at subsidised prices.
However, the 2016 Gas project was not successful. Chirchir noted that the government will be picking lessons from the past project to better their new initiative.
“A lot of those cylinders were six kilograms and they were not going to those living below the poverty line. So we will take the lessons we learnt on mwananchi Gas and use it to support the new project,” added Chirchir.
At the same time, the CS said that the government would bring down the cost of Gas through market driven pricing.
This means that the ministry in collaboration with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) will set a maximum retail price for LPG in the country as it does fuel.
“We are going to put in place the Open Tender regulations. We have been to Cabinet and we have the approval to do a price discovery so that we can bring down the cost of gas, not only on account of what government has done in removing the taxes on LPG but also to ensure that we are selling LPG for the right price,” he explained.
Also Read: Government to Give Out Free Gas Cylinders – Ruto States
Ruto on Gas Cylinders
In March 2023, President William Ruto promised that the prices of the 6kg gas cylinder would be reduced from Ksh 2,800 to Ksh300 by the month of June 2023.
He said that the move would reduce the cost of living adding that the new price would range from Ksh300 as a minimum to a maximum of Ksh500.
“Currently, a 6kg cylinder costs about Ksh2,800, and with the subsidy, the price will fall to about Ksh500 in the next financial year beginning July this year.
He then directed the Ministry of Interior to begin the registration of all gas refilling stations to ensure that they were licenced.
A filled 13kg gas cylinder retails at Ksh5,000 at the moment while a 6kg filled gas cylinder retails for Ksh2,600.
An empty 6kg gas cylinder costs about Ksh1, 700 while an empty 13kg gas cylinder costs about Ksh3,000 depending on the brand and location.
