The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has cleared the second consignment of cooking gas that was imported by Lake Gas via its terminal in Vipingo, and disowned an earlier letter that had declared the cargo unsafe.
A letter seen by this publication and dated September 11, 2025 shows that Kebs cleared the cargo of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) after it passed safety compliance tests.
Another letter, purportedly from Kebs, had declared the 4,075.525 tonnes of butane and 926.473 tonnes of propane unsafe over excess levels of propane and insufficient butane.
“The samples complied with the requirements of the standards in the parameters tested. Consequently, the consignment in Tank 4 and Tank 2 is hereby released by Kebs and you are free to offer the product for sale in the local market,” Hassan Abdikheir said in a letter, signed on behalf of the manager for inspection for Coast region.
Tankers waiting to be refilled at the Lake Gas Limited, an Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Terminal in Vipingo, Kilifi County, on June 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
Kebs also disowned another letter that showed the consignment had been blocked from the market after a test revealed that the LPG cargo had excess levels of propane and insufficient butane, rendering it unsafe for use.
“Contrary to reports circulating online indicating that the bureau (Kebs) has rejected a consignment from Lake Gas, Kebs wishes to inform the public that the said rejection letter did not originate from Kebs,” Kebs said in a response to the Nation .
“Kebs wishes to assure the public that the LPG from Lake Gas meets quality standards and is safe for use.”
The ratio of butane and propane was initially 80:20 but this was changed last month to 60:40 for butane and propane respectively in line with the standards published by the East African Community.
Lake Gas had also seen its maiden LPG cargo to be imported via the terminal in Vipingo, temporarily held by Kebs in July this year after tests revealed that it had low levels of Ethyl mercaptan—a substance with a stenchy smell—and which helps detect leaking gas cylinders.
Entry of the Tanzanian firm into the Kenyan market has rattled the Mombasa-based African Gas and Oil Limited (Agol), which has for years been handling over 90 percent of the cooking gas imported for Kenya.
Lake Gas recently completed the first phase of its 22,000-tonne facility in Kilifi to handle imported cooking gas, taking the battle to the doorstep of Agol.
Lake Gas is targeting both the handling of LPG imports and its retail across the country and its facility is the second largest in the country. Agol has the largest with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes.
The government-owned Kenya Pipeline Company and a number of private firms, including Tanzania’s Taifa Gas, are keen on setting up terminals for handling imports of LPG amid a steady growth in the use of cooking gas in the country.
An increase in the number of players in the handling section of cooking gas imports is seen as key to lowering the retail price of the commodity and thus encouraging uptake amongst households.
Consumption of cooking gas hit a record high of 413,960 tonnes last year, a growth of 14.8 percent from 360,590 tonnes used in 2023 as more households, institutions and businesses switch to LPG as their preferred cooking fuel.
A 13-kilogramme pack of cooking gas is going for an average of 3,200 at most fuel stations while the six-kilogramme pack is retailing at an average of Sh1,300.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the official KEBS position on the safety of cooking gas in the Kenyan market.
