Kenyans could be unknowingly putting their lives at risk following revelations that a massive shipment of cooking gas recently imported into the country was found to be unsafe.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has flagged a 12,000-metric-tonne Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consignment brought in by Lake Gas for lacking adequate levels of a critical safety chemical—ethyl mercaptan—which helps detect gas leaks.

Without sufficient amounts of this foul-smelling additive, often likened to the stench of rotten eggs, users may be unable to detect dangerous leaks, posing a serious threat of fire or explosion in homes and businesses.

LPG is odourless and is blended with stench, known as ethyl mercaptan, giving cooking gas the foul smell akin to rotten eggs to easily alert users in case of a leak.

Lake Gas had imported a 12,000 metric tonne cooking gas cargo that was discharged into its LPG facility at Kilifi on June 4. Kebs said tests carried out at the company’s facilities, which it supervised, found the cargo did not have adequate stench and posed a risk to users.

“Following the resampling exercise at your premises today (June 12, 2025), during which it was confirmed that the ethyl mercaptan (stench) dosser is faulty, we wish to reiterate the critical importance of accurate odorant dosing for consumer safety,” said Kebs in a letter to Lake Gas on Thursday.

“The confirmatory tests conducted in your in-house laboratory, witnessed by (Kebs inspector), confirmed that the ethyl mercaptan levels are still below the required limits specified in KS 91:2022 Kenya Standard LPG – specification.

“Ethyl mercaptan plays a vital role in leak detection, and any deficiency in dosage poses a significant risk to public health and safety. Immediate corrective action is essential to restore proper functionality and ensure compliance with safety standards.”

Ethyl mercaptan is classified as a hazardous substance and mixed into the LPG during discharge from a vessel in a controlled manner.

There are also instances when it is added at the LPG handling facilities, although industry insiders said there is limited capacity locally to mix LPG with ethyl mercaptan onshore.

Sources say Kebs has been under pressure from senior government officials and politicians to give an okay for the cargo to be released to the market.

Some trucks have reportedly been loaded with the gas from the Lake Gas terminal for delivery to the market.

The cooking gas consignment by Lake Gas, which is enough to fill two million 6kg cylinders, is the first to be handled by its facility at Vipingo, which is still under construction.

It currently has the capacity to handle 10,000 metric tonnes but plans to increase capacity to 20,0000 metric tonnes.

Lake Gas imported the gas for distribution to the market as it looks to tap into the growing uptake of LPG.

About 10 million households now use cooking gas in their kitchens. LPG consumption in Kenya has been growing steadily to reach 414,900 metric tonnes in 2024, an increase of more than 340 per cent from 93,900 tonnes in 2013.

Consumption is projected to grow with government incentives, including putting up LPG facilities at learning institutions and the distribution of gas cylinders to low-income households by the State.

Beyond household cooking among households and institutions, LPG is also increasingly being used by the motor vehicle industry, where internal combustion engines are converted to use LPG instead of diesel or super petrol.

The government has also removed taxes in a bid to lower prices. In 2023, it exempted LPG from the Import Declaration Fee (IDF) of 2.5 per cent and the Railway Development Levy (RDL) of two per cent in bid to lower prices and grow consumption. It has also zero-rated Value Added Tax (VAT) on LPG.

Annual per capita consumption, however, remains low at about seven kilogrammes against a target of 15 kilogrammes.