KISII, KENYA – SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 In the suburb of Kisii, in Daraja Mbili, a tragic gas cylinder explosion occurred in one of the apartments. The blast killed a woman, Esther Ghati, on the spot and seriously injured her husband, Fred Mokaya. A video showing the aftermath of the tragedy surfaced online, depicting Fred with severe burns standing in front of the smoking apartment building amid chaos.
In many areas of Kenya, households commonly use gas cylinders for cooking. Officially, these cylinders must be certified and undergo safety inspections, and their refilling is partially monitored by the state. However, in an effort to save money, people sometimes resort to black-market cylinders, which can lead to such accidents. While not extremely common, these incidents do occur.
In February 2024, there was a major gas cylinder explosion in the Embakasi district of Nairobi at an illegally operated depot. That explosion killed at least three people and injured another 280.
