Oil & Gas

Lake Gas Limited has received clearance from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to release over 11,000 tonnes of cooking gas that had been held at the Port of Mombasa. The shipment, imported in June 2025, was initially blocked due to low levels of ethyl mercaptan, a crucial odorant that allows consumers to detect gas leaks. After corrective dosing and independent tests confirmed compliance with KS 91:2022, KEBS gave approval on August 2, allowing distribution to resume.

This development ends weeks of uncertainty and reaffirms the strength of Kenya’s regulatory oversight. Observers feared the delay might lead to LPG shortages or price hikes, but the swift resolution restored confidence in the system. Lake Gas, owned by Tanzanian entrepreneur Ally Awadh, expressed relief and committed to improving its internal quality control systems. The company confirmed that no gas was released to the market before final safety clearance.

While this marks a positive outcome, the incident exposed vulnerabilities in both regulatory response and company operations. Emergency stockpile plans were affected, and logistics had to be adjusted due to the delayed clearance. Regulators stressed the importance of odorant dosing in preventing gas-related hazards, emphasizing that odorless LPG poses severe safety risks to consumers.

Now cleared, Lake Gas will begin distributing the LPG to Kilifi and retail networks across Nairobi, Mombasa, and western Kenya. The move is expected to enhance competition in the LPG sector, which regulators hope will result in better pricing and service delivery. As new players enter the market, this episode underscores the critical balance between safety enforcement and business facilitation in Kenya’s growing energy space.