NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of systematically harassing small-scale liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) traders, alleging that hundreds of thousands of cylinders have been seized in enforcement operations across the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 26, Gachagua said small-scale gas dealers had endured what he described as “state-sanctioned seizure, systematic harassment” and unlawful arrests over the past two years.
He claimed the operations had affected traders in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos, as well as parts of the North Rift, Nyanza and Western Kenya.
According to Gachagua, more than 200,000 gas cylinders were seized between June and October 2025.
He questioned the whereabouts of the cylinders, alleging that some were taken without proper inventories or entries in police occurrence books.
“We have evidence that the seized gas cylinders are funnelled to private and upcoming LPG enterprises owned by politicians and other state actors,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President also questioned the involvement of different government agencies in enforcing regulations governing the LPG trade.
He cited correspondence involving the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), arguing that the regulator should have a central role in enforcement within the sector.
Gachagua also referred to a December 2025 letter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning an enforcement operation in Western Kenya. He claimed the correspondence indicated that the operation had been conducted without notifying EPRA and was therefore improper under the Energy Act.
Gachagua demands return of cylinders
Gachagua said small-scale gas traders were not opposed to regulation but wanted enforcement agencies to operate within the law.
“No LPG trader is against any regulations and laws; the question is harassment, arbitrary arrests, illegal seizure of gas cylinders and extortion,” he said.
He called for the immediate return of the allegedly seized cylinders and compensation for traders who he said had suffered losses.
Gachagua also demanded investigations into officials he accused of involvement in the alleged enforcement operations.
The allegations have not been independently established, and Gachagua presented them as concerns requiring investigation and accountability.
The individuals and institutions he named have not been shown in the latest reporting to have publicly accepted his allegations.
The former Deputy President’s intervention comes as the LPG sector remains an important part of Kenya’s household energy market, with small retailers serving consumers across urban and rural communities.
Gachagua further accused the government of abandoning its promise to improve the economic position of small traders under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
