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Kenyans to pay for free gas cylinders after Ruto’s govt U-turn
11th November, 2025 11:48 AM
The government has backtracked on its pledge to give free gas cylinders to vulnerable families, opting instead to sell them at discounted rates.
Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy on Monday, November 10, 2025, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Daniel Kiptoo announced, Daniel Kiptoo, said that the decision was aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the programme and preventing misuse of public resources.
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“Our goal is affordability and safety, not free distribution. The subsidy ensures access while enabling EPRA to sustain the program,” Kiptoo said.
The announcement signals a U-turn from the 2022 campaign promise in which President William Ruto vowed to provide free gas cylinders to poor households under his clean energy agenda.
In February 2023, speaking at Mpeketoni, Lamu County, the Head of State said that in the next three years, every household in the country will have a gas cylinder.
He said that already, plans are in the works to make sure this target is met.
“We have found a company that will put up a Ksh25 billion gas plant at Dogokundu,” Ruto said.
“I said the other day that in the next three years, we want to make sure that every household, in every village, has a gas cylinder that will be provided by the Government.”
But now the government has changed the plan, and Kenyans will have to pay a certain amount to get the cylinder from EPRA.
Tightening the noose
Moreover, Kiptoo told the lawmakers that the government has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal gas dealers and counterfeit LPG cylinders, intensifying efforts to protect consumers from unsafe refilling practices and prevent explosions.
He revealed that enforcement teams had been dispatched across the country to dismantle cartels involved in illegal gas refilling operations.
The EPRA boss noted that several unlicensed plants had already been raided and hundreds of fake cylinders confiscated, with plans to expand the operation to more areas.
“We are committed to ensuring that every cylinder in the Kenyan market is genuine and safe for use. Eliminating unlawful cylinders is not just regulation; it is a matter of protecting lives,” Kiptoo asserted.
Additionally, the EPRA boss briefed lawmakers on ongoing regulatory measures in the LPG sector, with lawmakers demanding more clarifications on safety enforcement, seizure of unlawful cylinders, and the authority’s plan to restore order in the market.
Kiptoo told the committee that the Authority had intensified surveillance and enforcement efforts following a surge in illegal refilling sites that have been operating without licenses.
He warned that operators found culpable would face prosecution and revocation of any trading permits.
