DCP Party leader Rigathi Gachagua addresses the media at his Keren residence on August 26, 2026. JULIUS OTIENOFormer Deputy President and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has raised concerns over what he describes as prolonged harassment, arrests, and seizure of gas cylinders targeting small-scale LPG traders.
Gachagua made the allegations on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while addressing journalists at his Karen residence.
The claims made by Gachagua have not been independently established in his statement. He presented them as concerns requiring investigation and accountability.
He claimed that thousands of small-scale gas retailers had faced what he described as systematic harassment and arbitrary arrests during enforcement operations in different parts of the country.
"Over the last 2 years, small-scale gas dealers have been put under a ruthless state-sanctioned seizure, systematic harassment and a total subversion of the regulatory frameworks under guidelines for the retail of liquefied petroleum gas in cylinders," Gachagua said.
According to Gachagua, the alleged operations affected traders in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Machakos, as well as parts of the North Rift, Nyanza, and Western regions.
He claimed that more than 200,000 gas cylinders had been seized between June and October 2025.
Gachagua questioned the whereabouts of the cylinders and alleged that some seizures were carried out without inventories or entries in police occurrence books.
"We have evidence that the seized gas cylinders are funnelled to private and upcoming LPG enterprises owned by politicians and other state actors," he said.
He also raised questions about the involvement of different government agencies in the enforcement operations, arguing that the energy regulator should have a central role in regulating the LPG sector.
Gachagua referred to correspondence from the energy regulator, which, according to his statement, identified it as the sole enforcement agency in the sector.
He further cited a December 2025 letter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning an enforcement operation in Western Kenya.
According to Gachagua, the letter indicated that the operation had been conducted without notifying the energy regulator and was therefore improper under the Energy Act.
The former Deputy President said small-scale gas traders were not opposed to regulation but wanted enforcement agencies to follow the law.
He called for the return of allegedly seized cylinders and compensation for traders who he said had suffered losses.
Gachagua also called for investigations into officials he accused of involvement in the alleged operations.
