Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vendors in Migori have been issued a 30-Days’ notice by the Municipal Board to comply with guidelines on the environment conservation and disaster management measures.
While giving the notice, Migori town Municipal Manager, Musa Olwalo said that it is in line with the vision of the board to reduce fire perils associated with the business that they give out the order.
This notice comes after a series of fire accidents in the town where several houses went a blaze but luckily rescued by the swift response of fire-fighting team.
Before the recent fire accident, four containers had been brought down by same fire accident over the night leaving all their contents turned to ashes.
“A few weeks ago, some houses were ravaged by flames. This unfamiliar pattern of fire accidents within Migori has prompted our response in order to save the business community,” said Olwalo.
Olwalo who was particular with the LPG vendors said that had had there been gas vendors around the houses that caught fire, the situation would have been uncontrollable and consequences dire.
He added that the LPG vending business has become rampant within the town with the gas vendors ignoring important precautions to manage the risks associated with the business venture.
“With the increase of the business in town, some vendors have become less sensitive to the dangers that they expose the residents to by not safeguarding the business entities and taking precautions,” he stated.
The Municipal manager also reiterated that the move by the municipal board is the best as it is a show of love to the business community by ensuring their security.
In the notice, Olwalo has laid down several requirements for one to be allowed to operate the business within town.
First, one has to obtain a compliance certificate from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) indicating the penalties if one acts ultra vires to the certificate.
Apart from NEMA certificate, one will also be required to get a certificate from the department of physical planning authorizing them to operate in a designated location.
“The guidelines from the Physical Planning department will restrict the vendors to make cages for the containers, preventing them from falling which may cause harm to a passer-by,” stated Olwalo.
He added that just like the Passenger Service Vehicles (PSVs) have heeded the call to move away from the highway sidelines, the vendors will also be required to have complied with the regulations within a month.
“As we aim to decongest the town by removing the vehicles from the walkways, the gas vendors also have thirty days to comply and put the gas containers in cages,” he reiterated.
The manager however, promised to take a stern action against those who will fail to comply with the regulations within the set duration.
“We however, give a stern warning to those who will not take this serious notice. We promise to take the certificate of registration of the business and suspend it indefinitely,” he warned.
IAN BYRON