How Mombasa tycoon Mohammed Jaffer's Pro Gas killed Mwananchi Gas, a government subsidised project ▷ Kenya News

When Government announced a subsidized gas project in October 2016, it brought a ray of hope for Kenyans who often relied on firewood and kerosene, two energy sources that are not only inefficient but had them breathing in toxic fumes.

Mwananchi Gas project was to sell under the Gas Yetu brand and was meant to safeguard the poor from respiratory diseases caused by the use of firewood for cooking. It was also meant to contain the rampant destruction of forests.

In 2017 Gas Yetu was allocated KSh2.2 billion for the period 2017-2019. A further KSh700 million was allocated through a supplementary budget raising the total cost of the project to Ksh2.9 billion.

The project would have seen millions of households receive subsidised 6kg cooking gas cylinders at a cost of KSh 2,000.

5 million households were targeted with the Gas Yetu cylinders fitted with burners and grills

The beneficiaries would refill them at a cost of only Ksh840 per cylinder.

This was however not to be. 2 years since it was launched Energy and Mining Principal Secretary Eng. Joseph Njoroge says government shelved it due to budget issues.

However an investigation into what led to the collapse of the project reveals a well calculated plan by Pro Gas owner Mohammed Jaffer to kill Gas Yetu.

It all started with a contract awarded by the Petroleum Ministry and the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (Nock) to a consortium led by Allied East Africa Ltd.

The Namanga gas testing plant will definitely be good news for Kenyans who are keen on getting high quality and safe cooking gas.

Gas entering Kenya from Tanzania was found to contain dangerously high portions of propane in relation to butane.

It was also discovered that LPG from the neighbouring country did not have the chemical additive ethyl mercaptan (the rotten egg-like oduor) which makes it easy for users to easily detect leakages.

Unlike gas coming in through Mombasa port which is subjected to several quality tests, that coming in through land borders such as Namanga is not vetted or weighed.