Consumers to gain from new laws on gas

By Morris Aron

Firms selling cooking gas, including middlemen who distribute, store or sell the product, must now be licensed by the Energy Regulatory Commission in order to trade.

This follows the Kenya Gazette notice of new laws aimed at bringing order in the importation, storage, filling, transportation and pricing of gas, by Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday.

The new rules require companies dealing in LPG to package the gas in standard capacity cylinders, fitted with a standard, uniform valve, to give customers better choice, allowing them to exchange cylinders at any retail outlet that stocks gas.

Also included is a clause that requires all retail outlets to use properly calibrated weighing instruments for customers check the accuracy of gas content in the cylinders.

"The goal of the new laws is to enhance consumption of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas, or just cooking gas) through increased accessibility and competitive pricing while protecting the interest of consumers," said Kaburu Mwirichia, the Director General of the ERC.

The traders will also be required to meet certain specified standards in safety, environmental conservation, facilities construction and equipment standards, before being issued with licenses to operate.

Apart from discouraging periodic hoarding of the commodity, which has seen its price fluctuate, the new laws will encourage adoption use of gas for fuel, as opposed to jikos (cooking stoves that use charcoal), to help conserve the environment.