Contractor punctures Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, triggers fuel leak in Nairobi

Petroleum storage tanks at a Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) facility. The company shut down an affected section of the Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline after drilling works punctured Line 5 near Tassia, Nairobi. [File,Standard]

The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has shut down part of its Mombasa-Nairobi line after drilling works punctured the pipeline near Tassia, triggering a petroleum leak in Nairobi.

The incident occurred at about 9 am on Monday, November 9, along Line 5, which transports petroleum products from the coastal city to Nairobi.

KPC attributed the damage to a contractor engaged by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) to undertake geotechnical survey and drilling works near Tassia, off Outer Ring Road in Embakasi Central Sub-County.

In a statement, KPC Acting Managing Director Pius Mwendwa said the company had isolated the affected section and deployed emergency response teams to contain the product release and secure the area.

“Following the incident, KPC immediately shut down the affected pipeline section and deployed its Incident Management team, pipeline repair personnel and fire-safety teams to the site. The situation is under control,” Mwendwa said.

The company said it had also worked with security and emergency response agencies to cordon off the affected area and deploy additional personnel and equipment for product containment, recovery, environmental management and public safety.

Mwendwa said investigations had been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, with the KRC drill rig operators assisting the Kenya Police Service.

“Investigations are underway, and the KRC drill rig operators are assisting the Kenya Police Service with the investigations, while the KPC technical teams assess the extent of the damage and undertake the necessary repairs,” he added.

KPC did not disclose the quantity of petroleum products released or the extent of any environmental damage.

The company also did not indicate how long repairs would take or whether the incident would affect fuel deliveries to Nairobi.

Line 5 is part of the petroleum transportation infrastructure linking Mombasa to Nairobi.

The 450-kilometre pipeline, commissioned in 2018, has a diameter of 20 inches and an installed flow capacity of approximately 1,000 cubic metres per hour.

It was constructed to replace the older Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline and is supported by pumping stations along the route.

KPC operates a pipeline network spanning approximately 1,342 kilometres, transporting petroleum products from the Port of Mombasa to inland depots in Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu, as well as serving regional markets.

The company said it remained committed to containing the product release, addressing any resulting environmental impact and restoring the affected area in line with applicable safety and environmental standards.