Derrick Kimathi, the owner of the Embakasi gas facility where the tragic Mradi explosion took place, has come out to defend himself amid public uproar.
Kimathi, through his lawyer Wandugi Karathe pointed accusing fingers to the driver of the lorry said to have caused the huge explosion.
In a statement, the lawyer said the vehicle transporting gas had trespassed into his client’s premises at the time of the incident.
According to him, Kimathi has committed to establishing the identity of the vehicle to expose it to the police for action.
“The motor vehicle that caused this incident was trespassing into his property without his knowledge and consent and he is actively pursuing the details of that vehicle so that it can be exposed to the police,” the lawyer noted in a statement.
As per the lawyer’s statement, Kimathi had not started operations at the gas plant as reported in some media.
Embakasi Gas Facility Owner Denies Operating Filling Plant
As such, he dispelled media reports insinuating that he was responsible for the tragedy that left people killed and scores displaced.
He referred to an earlier statement by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to state that his premises was denied a license to operate as gas plant for safety purposes.
Instead, he argued that the land in question and suspected to have caused the fire was used as a “garage”.
What’s more, the lawyer affirmed that his client was ready to cooperate with the investigations side, revealing that he was in contact with security agencies for investigations.
“Our client is willing to fully cooperate with the police in the course of their investigation but request that the media refrains from publishing any unverified statements that are prejudicial to him,” the lawyer stated.
His statement came against the background of widespread criticism and uproar from people asking why a gas plant had been cleared to operate inside a residential center.
Kenyans had read mischief into the said clearance and even called for action against responsible officials.
But EPRA in a statement clarified that the company had failed to meet requirements set for registration and approval in 2023.
Also Read: Embakasi Explosion: 4 NEMA Officials Fired After Ruto Order
Kenyans Question Govt’s Reluctance to Act on Gas Facility
Questions also emerged on why the government did not shut down the said plant despite confirming that it failed to meet safety requirements.
However, following a directive by President William Ruto on Saturday, February 3, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) suspended four of its officials noting that it had noticed gaps in the licensing procedure.
In the incident that happened on Thursday, February 1 night, over three people died, and scores injured in the fire caused by a gas explosion.
The night fire was one of the four major fires reported in a span of seven days, after yet another scary incident at the City Stadium area.
