NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 6 — Derrick Kimathi, a businessman who claimed to own a garage at the site of Thursday’s gas explosion, has been arrested days after his lawyer denied culpability.
Detectives arrested Kimathi alongside three officials of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week, Kimathi’s lawyer claimed that the LPG truck that exploded at his garage had trespassed without his knowledge.
The agency said it had established that Kimathi owned the illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) refiling plant which operated without approval from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
DCI indicated that Kimathi had a manager identified as Stephen Kilonzo oversee operations at the site.
It identified arrested NEMA officials as David Ongare (Director Environment Compliance), Joseph Makau (Head Environmental Impact Assessment) and Mirrian Kioko.
DCI said five suspects remained at large.
“These include Stephen Kilonzo (the site manager), Ann Kabiri Mirungi of NEMA, Lynette Cheruyoit (NEMA’s Senior Environmental Officer), truck driver Robert Gitau and Abraham Mwangi (driver).”
DCI asked the public to report or share any information on the whereabouts of the suspects by contacting the toll-free hotline 0800722203 or reporting in person at any police station.
The tragic Embakasi gas explosion on February 1, claimed two lives with the death toll subsequently rising to six.
The blast which caused a fireball sent shockwaves in the neighboring residential area, leaving over 280 persons injured and dozens homeless.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura reported additional deaths on Monday saying those who died at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) succumbed to burns sustained from the blast.
