Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, has seen the primary suspect in a deadly gas explosion and fire in a heavily populated neighborhood appear in court.
A vehicle carrying gas canisters burst late Thursday in the city’s Embakasi neighborhood, resulting in six fatalities and around 280 injuries.
Wearing a black beanie and face mask, police escorted Derrick Kimathi—who they said rented the “illegal” gas station where the accident happened—to a court in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Kimathi’s attorney has previously stated that he would assist the authorities, although he has refuted claims that he was running a gas filling plant near the location of the explosion.
Kimathi and three National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) officers were taken into custody earlier, according to a statement made by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The NEMA officials are being held accountable for the disaster.
It referred to Kimathi as the “prime suspect” in its statement on X, but it did not specify when or where the suspects were apprehended.
It has been alleged that National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) officials improperly granted a license for the LPG filling and storage facility in this highly populated area.
The DCI announcement included pictures of the suspects and stated, “Five other suspects are still at large and are wanted by the DCI to answer for their crimes that have caused untold physical and emotional suffering to fellow Kenyans.”
According to the report, these people include the site manager, two more NEMA employees, a truck driver, and an additional driver.
Local sources state that Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson issued an order closing all gas companies that catered to the city’s residential sectors.
