Cooking gas cylinders. [Photo/businessdaily]Kenya's plan to roll out a programme to entrench use of the commodity among low-income households will cost Sh2.2 billion on acquiring 720,000 cooking gas cylinders and several refill plant machinery through a State-owned fuels dealer.
According to The State Department of Petroleum Principal Secretary Engineer Andrew Kamau, the move would help the government avail affordable cooking gas to low and middle-income Kenyans who mainly rely on kerosene for cooking.“This is the second tranche to be procured for the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) where we first bought 400,000 cooking gas cylinders. We plan to phase out Kerosene but want to avail an alternative for Kenyans to use once the programme is implemented,” he said.In a paid up advertisement, the ministry invited bids for supply of 720,000 empty cooking gas cylinders weighing 6 kilogrammes in four lots open to all businesses with a separate bid made for the supply of 720,000 burners in five lots that has been reserved for youth, women and people with disability.A third bid comprising of five lots has also been advertised for the supply of 720,000 metal grills for the cooking gas cylinders, with this tender reserved for youth, women and people with disability.The company sells the 6kilogramme,13 kilogramme and 50kilogramme cylinders that are refilled at its refilling plant based at Nairobi’s Industrial Area.