KISUMU, Kenya, April 15 – The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has embarked on a mission to sensitize the public on compliance and non-conformity when dealing with electricity and petroleum products to reduce loss of lives and property.
EPRA Deputy Director in charge of public education and advocacy Ann Kiprotich says the sensitization sessions will help in cushioning the public from dangers posed by the products.
Kiprotich says if the public adheres to the rules, then there will be minimum injuries and losses incurred as a result of mishaps while handling electricity and petroleum products.
“The biggest challenge we have is lack of compliance and non-conformity and we are speaking to the public in the language they can understand,” she said.
She says members of the public always think it is the responsibility of someone else to deal with the challenges in the sector.
Kiprotich says they are using the sessions to build collaborations and partnership to be able to compound the challenges.
Speaking in Kisumu during a public sensitization, Kiprotich says they are also creating awareness on the mandate of EPRA.
She says many times, the public have engaged unqualified personnel to connect their electricity thus leading to deaths.
“We are here to raise the awareness on electricity installation to ensure that the people making installation are certified and competent,” she said.
During the sessions, EPRA is meeting electrical technicians, solar technicians, electrical contractors, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stakeholders.
“In LPG, we are meeting the dealers, transporters, retailers and wholesalers in the value chain of the petroleum sector,” said Kiprotich.
She further noted that the boda boda riders and tuk tuk operators are also being taken through the sessions since they are the major transporters of LPG for domestic use.
“We needed to sensitize them on proper handling and what the law addresses, because most of them do not know the threshold to carry, since we may see a boda boda carrying more than three gas cylinders and that is not allowed by the law,” she said.
Kiprotich says EPRA is keen to realize consumer protection and will strive to balance the interests of the stakeholders and that of the investors and consumers too.
