The Senate has summoned Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis ChirChir and EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo to appear and provide insight into the Embakasi gas explosion, which resulted in 10 fatalities and left more than 200 others injured.
The Committee had initially summoned them to appear on Wednesday, February 14. However, the Energy CS clarified his absence by sending a letter to the committee, stating that he was out of the country.
The committee, led by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, has ruled that the CS, his Principal Secretary, and the EPRA DG must appear before them next week Tuesday or risk being fined Kes.500,000.
“We must come up with stringent measures to ensure this tragedy does not happen again. It is high time we find out if there are such outlets in residential areas and shut them,” said Wamatinga.
Last Wednesday, the court granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to detain four suspects, including the owner of the Embakasi gas plant, Derrick Kimathi, for 21 days while investigations are ongoing.
A fifth suspect associated with the tragedy, Isaac Kipchirchir, is also under detention at Embakasi Police Station for 14 days pending the conclusion of investigations.
