Nairobi county starts disconnection of water over unpaid bills

Nairobi county government has started disconnecting water supply to residents with unpaid bills.

Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), responsible for providing and managing water and sewerage services started the exercise on Wednesday.

“Dear customer, we are currently undertaking mass disconnections across Nairobi due to overdue water bills. We urge you to clear your outstanding water bill to avoid service interruptions,” NCWSC said on X.

Those affected were urged to dial *888# and follow the prompts to clear their overdue bills. 

Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration had highlighted that it had been compelled to take drastic action as pending bills were accumulating.

The mass disconnection is expected to affect thousands of households within Nairobi and parts of Kiambu and Kajiado counties.

According to NCWSC, 76 per cent of Nairobi households have access to the county-provided water connection.

The disconnections occurred at a time when the county government had raised water prices for its residents.

This decision came after the national government announced in June 2023 that it would impose charges on Nairobi county for the water it supplies to its residents.

Nairobi county government has proposed reforms to water and sewerage services through the County Assembly Bills, 2023.

If the Bill is passed, the governor will be fully responsible for NCWSC as it will be monitored and evaluated by the county executive.

Through the Bill, which has been submitted to the County Water Committee, the administration has proposed several changes to improve services to residents.

Among the changes is the establishment of the Nairobi City County Water and Sewerage Services Corporation, which will replace the current Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited.

According to the Bill, the Corporation will establish service delivery, operations and customer service offices at sub-county and ward levels and may further decentralise as necessary to ensure optimal service delivery.

The functions of the company include the provision and management of water and sewerage services, the development and maintenance of infrastructure for water and sewerage services in the county, including water works, the development and maintenance of adequate water supply systems for domestic, commercial and other purposes, and the development and maintenance of infrastructure for sewerage services in the county, including primary, secondary and tertiary systems, among others.