Nyeri Water and Sanitation Company is seeking to waive outstanding bills accumulated during the Covid-19 crisis from March 2020 to June 2021.
Board chairman Patrick Karinga told the media on Tuesday the company has requested approval to waive the bills, which is about Sh100 million, to cushion customers.
The company has also stopped water disconnection to domestic customers with immediate effect and will instead use relationship management approaches to recover debts.
Karinga said Nyewasco will enhance its communication channels in updating customers on bills with a breakdown of costs.
The bills include refuse fees collected on behalf of the county government. The amount does not form part of the water bill.
“On review of the tariff, Nyewasco will engage with Wasreb and the county government with a view to striking an equitable balance to ensure all customer categories are taken care of,” Karinga said.
The company will also undertake broad customer outreach to resolve all pending concerns within one month and implement 24-hour customer care service.
"Nyewasco will utilise its CSR budget to cushion the less-fortunate residents in their service area, including the provision of water points in high-traffic areas to help in the continued fight against the spread of Covid 19,” he said.
The company put in place the measures following corruption allegations among staff and an outcry over the implementation of the reviewed water tariffs, which customers claimed were exorbitant.
Customers had taken their complaints to social media and threatened to storm the company’s offices on Friday to present their grievances physically.
Karinga admitted there were complaints from customers and that it was their democratic right to do so.
“It has come to the attention of the management and board of Nyewasco that the customers have some grievances with the new tariffs,” he noted.
“It is imperative that water service provision be efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable, with a corresponding duty to the customer to pay reasonable charges in accordance with the approved tariff.”
Karinga said the issue of tariffs is neither set by the company nor regulated by the county government. He, however, added that the board is working closely with the county government to resolve the issue.
“The mandate falls under the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb). However, concurrence from the county government must be sought,” he said.
In keeping with Wasreb regulations, Nyewasco went through the process of tariffs review, which was approved and gazetted for implementation in April 2021, he said.
He said Wasreb has been reviewing tariffs to favour low-income households.
Since the implementation of the tariff, 50.8 per cent of Nyeri Central residents, who are classified as low-income earners, have benefitted from 11 per cent and 24 per cent decreases in charges for non-sewer and sewer connections respectively, he stated.
Nyewasco MD Peter Kahuthu said though the stoppage of disconnections would be effected immediately, they will resume once the current issues are solved and customers contented.
He, however, called on customers to continue paying their bills to ensure the company remains sustainable.
“When we talk of a bill of about Sh100 million, that is not little money considering the kind of services we are offering,” he said.
