Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of using police and regulatory agencies to harass small-scale liquefied petroleum gas traders, alleging that more than 200,000 gas cylinders have been seized during enforcement operations.
Gachagua made the allegations on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, as he spoke about what he described as targeted harassment, economic sabotage and extortion affecting LPG retailers.
He claimed that the operations had affected traders in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos between June and October 2025.
According to Gachagua, a police unit based in Hurlingham, Nairobi, was involved in the operations.
He alleged that the unit comprised several senior officers and about 25 other officers and was operating outside established police structures.
He further alleged that the unit operated under the supervision of private citizen Clive Mutiso and accused it of conducting raids using private vehicles and lorries.
Gachagua claimed that more than 200,000 cylinders were taken from traders without inventories being prepared or entries made in police Occurrence Books.
“Where are these 200,000 gas cylinders?” Gachagua asked, demanding that the government account for the seized property.
The DCP leader also accused Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat and officials at the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) of supporting or facilitating the alleged operations.
Lagat is the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service, according to the National Police Service Commission.
Gachagua said the raids had also extended to the North Rift, Nyanza and Western regions, where he claimed traders had their cylinders and vehicles seized and taken to Kakamega Police Station.
He cited an alleged December 2025 letter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which he said raised concerns about an operation conducted without notice to EPRA.
EPRA is mandated to regulate and enforce compliance in the petroleum sector, including LPG operations, under the Energy Act and Petroleum Act. The authority says it conducts surveillance and enforcement operations to promote safety, compliance and consumer protection.
Gachagua demands return of cylinders
Gachagua insisted that small-scale LPG traders were not opposed to regulation but objected to what he described as arbitrary arrests, illegal seizures and harassment.
“No LPG trader is against any regulations and laws; the question is harassment, arbitrary arrests, illegal seizure of gas cylinders and extortion,” he said.
He claimed that more than 500,000 small-scale LPG retailers had written to President William Ruto on the issue, including letters dated August 21, 2025 and April 1, 2026.
The former deputy president demanded that the seized cylinders be returned and that affected traders be compensated.
He also called for investigations into police and EPRA officials he accused of abusing their offices and demanded the closure of what he described as a “black site” in Hurlingham.
Gachagua further alleged that some of the seized cylinders were being channelled to private LPG businesses linked to politicians and state actors.
He cited the distribution of gas cylinders during the Ol Kalou by-election, alleging that some of them were among cylinders previously seized from small-scale traders. Citizen Digital reported the same allegation following Gachagua’s briefing.
Claims over Ruto and LPG business interests
Gachagua also alleged that President Ruto had commercial interests in the LPG sector and was seeking to reshape the industry in favour of politically connected businesses.
He named several companies and made allegations concerning LPG infrastructure, cylinder manufacturing and the proposed transfer of the gas track-and-trace system to eCitizen.
Gachagua did not provide publicly verified evidence in his statement to establish the ownership claims he made about the companies or the alleged links to the President.
He ended his statement by asking the President to leave small-scale gas traders alone.
The allegations come as Kenya’s LPG sector remains subject to licensing and enforcement requirements administered by EPRA, which maintains registers for licensed LPG retailers and other petroleum operators.
There was no immediate response from the government, the National Police Service or EPRA addressing the specific allegations made by Gachagua. Independent verification of the alleged seizure of more than 200,000 cylinders, the existence and structure of the alleged police unit, and the claims concerning the final destination of the cylinders was not immediately available.
