By Hassan Wekesa - Editor
Kenya, 9 September 2026 - Residents of Kibigori in Kisumu County have been urged to remain vigilant after an alleged petroleum pipeline leak raised serious safety concerns.
Those living near Kibigori Railway Station have been advised against cooking in their homes to reduce the risk of a potentially catastrophic fire while specialists attempt to contain the situation.
Unverified reports circulating locally claim that several of the experts deployed to carry out repairs were injured when fuel in the pipes ignited, the force of the blast knocking them off balance. Residents insist that at least three people died in the incident.
Residents of Kibigori in Kisumu County have been urged to remain vigilant after an alleged petroleum pipeline leak raised serious safety concerns.Those living near Kibigori Railway Station have been advised against cooking in their homes to reduce the risk of a potentially catastrophic fire while specialists attempt to contain the situation. Unverified reports circulating locally claim that several of the experts deployed to carry out repairs were injured when fuel in the pipes ignited, the force of the blast knocking them off balance. Residents insist that at least three people died in the incident.
Attempts by Dawan Africa to obtain official confirmation from Kenya Pipeline Company were unsuccessful. The person who answered the phone stated that only the Managing Director (MD) was authorised to release such information, if at all it existed, and directed the platform to contact him the following day.
Current acting MD of Kenya Pipeline Company is Pius Mwendwa.
A source, who requested for anonymity, said local administrators are currently inspecting homes in the area to ensure that no cooking is taking place, citing the highly explosive nature of petroleum and the need to prevent further injuries or loss of life.
Police officers spend most part of the day patrolling the area.
The incident is not isolated. In 2025 Kenya Pipeline Company launched preparations to overhaul defective sections of its 122-kilometre product pipeline running between Sinendet in Nakuru County and Kisumu.
The company acknowledged that the line, once considered reliable, had become increasingly susceptible to leaks in recent years.
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Known as Line 6, the pipeline suffered at least three major product spillages between 2017 and 2022.
Those incidents resulted in substantial financial losses for the company and exposed both communities and the environment to significant safety risks.
Line 6 forms a critical spur of the Western Kenya Pipeline Extension, transporting refined petroleum products including diesel, super petrol and jet fuel from the Sinendet pump station in Nakuru County to the Kenya Pipeline Company Kisumu Depot near Kibos.
The route comprises two parallel underground lines, the original six-inch-diameter pipeline built in 1992 and a newer, higher-capacity ten-inch line commissioned to meet rising regional demand.
It terminates at the Kisumu Depot, from where it supplies the Kisumu Oil Jetty on the shores of Lake Victoria. The line serves as the principal conduit for fuel distribution to western Kenya and the landlocked East African states of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Some residents who spoke to Dawan Africa on condition of anonymity said inspections of the pipeline are no longer conducted as frequently as in previous years.
Dawan Africa will continue to follow developments and provide further updates as information becomes available.