The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has ordered all fuel stations affected by flooding to suspend operations amid the risk of fuel contamination.

In a statement on Wednesday, EPRA warned that the heavy rains may damage the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank affecting the quality of petroleum products and leading to the breakdown of motor vehicles.

Further, the Authority has directed that the affected retail stations should assess the extent of the flooding, clean up any debris, and ensure the quality of their products before resuming operations.

“The Authority wishes to caution owners of the retail stations to ensure the safety of the public and quality of their products.”

“The retail stations should assess the extent of the flooding, clean up any debris, and ensure the quality of its products before resuming operations. Additionally, retail station owners should anticipate any potential environmental impact of the flooding and take appropriate measures to mitigate it,” read the statement in part.

This comes after the Kenya Meteorological Department warned that the heavy rains will likely persist for the entire month of May, raising fears of more devastating effects in the coming days.

According to the Department, several regions will continue to experience near-average to above-average rainfall throughout May, with occasional thunderstorms anticipated.

However, the western and coastal regions are forecasted to endure heavy rains extending into June.

Fuel retail stations have, therefore, been urged to strictly comply with any necessary protocols or regulations offered by government authorities to avert the adverse effects of the potential flooding.