A history of deadly fuel tanker siphoning tragedies in Kenya

Let’s look back at cautionary tales of tragedies involving Kenyans who lost their lives while attempting to siphon fuel from tankers involved in accidents. On the evening of July 13, 1998, a fuel tanker rolled into a maize plantation, killing 39 people as residents of Sidindi, Sinywago, Rambo and Mlaha villages in Ugenya, Siaya County, tried to siphon fuel. The most devastating fuel tanker explosion in Kenya’s history followed on January 31, 2009, when a tanker overturned along the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway in Sachangwan, Molo, Nakuru County. Crowds gathered to collect spilled fuel before the tanker caught fire, with an initial death toll of 111. The number was later reported to have risen to as high as 140. In July 2021, 13 people lost their lives after a fuel tanker overturned in Malanga, Siaya County, along the Kisumu–Busia Highway, following a collision with a milk truck. Crowds rushed to the scene to siphon fuel, leading to another deadly tragedy.