Nairobi Residents to Brace for 40% Water Price Increase

Nairobi County residents will soon face an increase in water prices after Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) applied to the regulator to raise tariffs citing rising costs in delivering water to residents.

The water bill in the city is set to rise up to 40 percent if the regulator agrees to a new tariff review.

The Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) said Nairobi Water, had applied for a regular tariff review to enable the water utility to recover costs, pay loans and upgrade infrastructure.

NCWSC, a subsidiary of the Nairobi County, has sought the regulator’s approval to increase water tariffs by between 20.44 percent and 39.57 percent which will be dependent on monthly consumption levels.

This adjustment will force city residents to dig deeper into their pockets at a time when the cost of living continues to rise due to heavy taxation and supply shortages amid high demand.

Nairobi residents who consume an average of 15,000 litres of water per month should expect to part with about Sh1,685 up from the current Sh1,241.

However, Nairobi Water has reserved the lowest water price increases for bulk water suppliers and water kiosks increasing their tariffs.

This is aimed at cushioning the poorest segments of the population who lack access to piped water and other water-starved areas of the city that rely on supply from bowsers and water kiosks.

Should the tariffs be approved, some of the conditions attached to the review by Wasreb is for Nairobi Water to increase water coverage to 85 per cent of the city within three years from the current 82 per cent, improve water quality to 100 per cent from 91 per cent, and lower the ratio of water it supplies without deriving revenue from it to 41 per cent from 46 per cent.

Article by Sally Lizwa