Little known businessman Derrick Kimathi is now hogging headlines for all the wrong reasons.
This is after an illegal gas storage and refilling facility associated with the sneaky businessman exploded at Mradi village in Embakasi leaving six people (according to media reports) dead and over 300 nursing injuries.
Venture in Nanyuki
According to the Daily Nation, Derrick Kimathi owns a similar facility in Laikipia East that was shut down by officials from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Through Derdols Petroleum Limited, the businessman owns Maxxis Nanyuki and Maxxis Nairobi.
A day before the deadly Embakasi explosion, two workers at his Nanyuki facility were picked up by EPRA officials and arraigned in court.
Mr Ibrahim Mureithi was charged with refilling/trading in different brands of LPG cylinders without written consent while his colleague Christopher Maina was charged with transporting filled and empty LPG cylinders by road without a valid license from EPRA.
Legalizing operations
Derdols Petroleum Limited, under the business name Maxxis Nairobi Energy, submitted a report to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) seeking to legalize its operations.
A statement from NEMA read in part,
“The report was submitted to NEMA on July 29, 2020, as a project report by project proponent Derdos Petroleum Limited under the business name Maxxis Nairobi Energy and was assigned reference number NEMA/PR/5/2/23790 (PSR 16708).
Safety Measures
The management of the illegal facility has strict rules on how to operate to avoid accidents from taking place.
Some of these rules include leaving all phones at the gate, flammable items like matchboxes are now allowed inside the premises.
Proper protective gear is a must and vehicles to maintain a speed of 10 KPH with drivers fastening their seat belts. Vehicles are also required to face the gate at all times.
Derrick Kimathi Surrenders
He surrendered to the police on the afternoon of Monday, February 5, 2024, four days after the Embakasi tragedy.