L toR Hirotaka Ito Toyota Tshusho Japan; Andrew Saisi MD National Housing Corporation; Amb. Dennis Awori Chairman CFAO Kenya; MaryJane Mwangi CEO NOCK/Courtesy
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – A Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) reticulation system will be installed in seventy-five National Housing Corporation apartments located in Nairobi’s South ‘B’ estate, by the end of December 2019.
The National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CFAO Kenya Limited – a Toyota Tshusho Group Company – and National Housing Corporation (NHC) to implement LPG reticulation at the NHC units, in a project that will be rolled out to other areas following successful completion of the South ‘B’ pilot.
An LPG reticulation system involves distribution of LPG to several housing units through piping which sees multiple customers served from one centralized bulk storage tank. This is not only a cost effective option for consumers as they do not each have to invest in an LPG cylinder but also ensures safety through centralization of the LPG storage unit which makes it easy to isolate and shut off gas supply in case of an emergency.
In this partnership, National Oil will supply the bulk gas under its LPG brand SupaGas and provide technical personnel to oversee the installation, CFAO Kenya will set up the reticulation infrastructure and NHC will provide access to its housing units.
Speaking during the MOU signing event, National Oil CEO MaryJane Mwangi said, expressed optimism that the project will be a game changer on safe use of LPG in the country.
“It will ensures safety in cooking and handling of gas besides convenience to customers who are only billed for the exact quantity of gas they use. Through this project our customers will enjoy convenience and assurance of having cooking gas available in their kitchens at all times,” she added.
“Customers can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that their LPG will not run out as they cook as is the case with supply through cylinders. In addition they do not have to carry heavy cylinders especially for those living in storied units,” expounded the NOCK CEO.
“We are also very excited about the impact this project will have on the affordable housing pillar being undertaken under the President’s Big Four Agenda which is encouraging LPG reticulation in housing units. We further expect that this project will support our efforts to firmly cement National Oil as a gas focused company with a large share of the LPG market in Kenya in line with the company’s 15 year transformation agenda,” she enthused.
The project also underpins the Corporation’s objective of increasing the consumption of LPG as the preferred cooking fuel and enabling Kenyans to make the transition from use of firewood, charcoal and kerosene.
Despite their negative impact on the environment, these fuels are a key contributor to domestic indoor pollution which is one of the leading cause of morbidity rates among both children and adults in Kenya as well as mortality rates among children below five years.
The Government has in the recent past expressed the need to enhance LPG penetration in the country through addressing various entry barriers that hinder Kenyans from accessing LPG.
With only about 15% of Kenya’s approximately 10 million households using LPG, the country’s LPG per-capita consumption is below smaller African economies such as Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast.
