Embakasi blast: Yard owner claims he operated garage and not gas filling station, denies liability

 

The owner of the gas plant that exploded at Mradi Village in Embakasi constituency has claimed that the property was being used as a garage at the time of the explosion and not a gas-filling station. A destroyed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker truck, damaged by fire following an explosion in the Embakasi.  Derrick Kimathi, the owner of the property that resulted in many people becoming homeless, has denied any responsibility for the affected residents. “The motor vehicle that caused this incident was trespassing on his [Mr. Kimathi] property without his knowledge or consent, and he is actively pursuing the details of that vehicle so that it can be exposed to the police,” said Kimathi's lawyer, Wandugi Karathe.  My client is available, says lawyer Karathe Karathe refuted claims that Kimathi is out of reach after the incident that has since claimed three lives. He stated that his client has been actively in touch with a section of police carrying out investigations on the matter. “He is available, he is within the public, and he has been in touch with sections of the police. Our client is willing to fully cooperate with the police in the course of their investigation, but requests that the media refrain from publishing any unverified misstatements that are prejudicial to him,” he said. The lawyer also clarified that Kimathi had plans to install a gas-filling station but was denied a licence in 2023. “Because he knows the regulations of a gas filling plant, he did not commence that business, and the premises continued to be used as a garage where cars are repaired,” he added.

by  Nancy Odindo