The Kenyan government is on the spot for ceding the importation of liquefied petroleum gas to a private company, something that has made efforts to make cooking gas affordable and accessible to the majority come to naught.

Despite implementing fiscal policies, subsiding cylinders and going to the extent of launching a cooking gas programme to make gas affordable to the common man, industry players contend that ceding the bulk importation of LPG to Africa Gas and Oil Ltd has denied the country the benefits of cheap cooking gas.

Africa Gas, which is partly controlled by business mogul Mohamed Jaffer who is also the owner of Grain Bulk Handlers, imports 90 per cent of the LPG consumed in Kenya and also controls a significant transit market to neighbouring countries. The remaining 10 per cent is brought to the country by smaller shipments that discharged into oil marketing companies terminals located at both the Shimanzi Oil Terminal and at Mbaraki Jetty.

Source: East African