Kenya: Nairobi Residents to Pay More for Water and Sewerage Services

Nairobi — Residents in Nairobi will pay more for water and sewerage services after the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) revised its tariffs for both small and large consumers.

Under the new rates, a domestic customer using an average of 10,000 litres per month will now pay Sh748, up from Sh538 previously. The revised charges were approved by the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) following a public participation process.

Water kiosks will now be charged Sh44 per 1,000 litres, which is equivalent to less than Sh1 for a 20-litre container.

NCWSC said the tariff increase of between 20 and 30 percent is necessary to cover rising operating costs and fund upgrades to aging infrastructure.

Acting Managing Director Martin Nang'ole said the expansion plan includes the construction of 180 kilometres of new water pipelines and 100 kilometres of new sewer lines. He added that customers in informal settlements will benefit from simplified sewer systems.

"Nairobi's population has grown to over five million, exceeding the installed capacity and putting pressure on the system," Nang'ole said.

The new charges come as several Nairobi suburbs and satellite towns, including South B, South C, Kilimani and Kileleshwa, continue to experience rapid growth in high-rise and high-density developments, increasing demand for water and sewerage services.

Nang'ole said the cost of water treatment, sewer infrastructure, electricity, pipe materials and maintenance has risen significantly since the last tariff review in 2023. Without revised tariffs, he warned, essential upgrades and service reliability improvements would be difficult to sustain.

He assured residents that the additional revenue will be used for infrastructure rehabilitation, efficiency improvements and expanding access to water services.

Other projects in the company's new strategic plan include the construction of a six-kilometre Ngethu raw water pipeline and the rehabilitation of the backwash system at the Kabete treatment plant.

Read the original article on Capital FM.