State denies harassment claims of small LPG traders

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Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has dismissed claims by some opposition leaders of a deliberate government campaign to frustrate small-scale liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) traders.

The CS dismissed as baseless claims by former Deputy President and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua that a special police squad targets small LPG traders through unwarranted raids on their business premises.  

Gachagua earlier this week claimed the unit conducted raids between June and October 2025 in Kajiado, Nairobi, Kiambu, and Machakos counties, confiscating over 200,000 gas cylinders.

"No inventory was conducted, no police occurrence book (OB) was recorded, and nobody was taken to court,” he claimed. “Where are these 200,000 cylinders?”

Gachagua referred to the Energy Act, 2019, saying the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) is responsible for conducting such raids.

He further claimed that a senior official at EPRA is feeding information to this rogue police unit about the locations of their businesses to facilitate the raids.

Similar raids were also reportedly conducted in the North Rift, Nyanza and Western regions. The gas cylinders were then stored at Kakamega Police Station.

But speaking in Awendo Constituency on Friday, CS Wandayi told Gachagua to keep off the ministry's affairs and use the right channels to voice any concerns regarding the sector.

"If Gachagua has genuine concerns about the ministry or government policies, he should confront those responsible directly instead of making allegations aimed at creating a negative image of the government," said Wandayi during the commissioning of a Last Mile Electrification Project implemented by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation in Awendo Constituency in Migori County.

He said the administration’s policies are intended to promote equity and ensure that government services and opportunities are fairly available across the country.

The exchange between the CS and the opposition leader adds to the growing political confrontation between the Ruto administration and Gachagua, who has emerged as one of its most vocal critics since leaving office as Deputy President.