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{
    "id": 1549673,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1549673/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 389,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Governor was not crying. I hope he had a problem with his eyes because the pictures seem to be communicating something. You will probably tell us more about this when you get chance. I rise to support this Motion. We were horrified of what happened. Under the law, EPRA is supposed to regulate. How would one allow a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) gas company to operate within a residential area? There is so much impunity in this country that if Jesus Christ were to come back to Kenya, he would be worried. We have many good laws but no one is complying with them. There is a problem with the implementation and effectiveness of those laws. EPRA should not have licensed an LPG gas company that is within a residential area. Remember we passed the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, the famous Mututho Law. We have the issue of churches and mosques within residential areas. I normally see the environmental compliant officer running around Nairobi telling people that they cannot operate a disco or mosques and churches within residential areas. My two sisters from Nairobi City County, Sen. Nyamu and Sen. Tabitha Mutinda, will tell you that. The same applies to opening of bars. One cannot open a bar near a school and there is a regulation on that. That is why we were horrified. The least that the Ministry of Energy, through EPRA and other agencies, can do is to compensate those families for the loss of lives and loss of property. As a country, we cannot allow EPRA to be only good at regulating prices. That is not what the law provided for EPRA. Under the law, EPRA has more mandates other than just telling us the price of petrol. They are not to only tell us that the price of petrol is Kshs200 shillings and it will be Kshs100 tomorrow. There is a big confusion with the management of EPRA. They think that their work is to only tell us that the fuel prices have gone up or down. They must tell us who issued the licenses. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you are a senior lawyer in this country and you know that there is what we call criminal negligence. They have to tell us who issued the license for the operationalization of the lpg company in a residential area. We are closing alcohol places and outlets around schools because we want to comply with the law. Therefore, the loss of life in Embakasi East, Mradi area and loss of property should be looked at thoroughly. As we talk, there should have been investigation and prosecution of the owners of the LPG company, officers from EPRA who approved and officers from Nairobi City County. They should be in court facing prosecution for criminal negligence for loss of property and lives. I thank the Committee on Energy. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you had not joined us in the last session because you were busy in litigation, but we were able to sanction the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Ministry of Energy then. He was sanctioned by this House. Do you remember the Solai Dam tragedy? This House did not allow Chief Kiragu and County Commission Nkanatha to take Kshs20 million to families in Solai. I am happy that today, the owners of Solai Dam, the likes of Patel and Mashakuru are being prosecuted for criminal negligence for the loss of life on Solai Dam tragedy. So, EPRA officials who approved the license must be charged. Nothing much is expected from Nairobi City County on what happened in Embakasi, Mradi area. This is because they were dumping garbage at Stima House. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}