Nairobi water prices to rise by up to 40 percent

Residents of Nairobi should brace for tougher living conditions should a proposal by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to increase price of water by 40 percent gets approved.

NCWSC on July 8, informed the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) of plans to increase tariffs by 20.44 and 39.57 percent in an attempt to recover costs, pay loans and upgrade infrastructure.

“NCWSC proposes an upward tariff review to enable the utility water to operate at full cost recovery and meet conditions necessary for improving service delivery,” revealed Peter Nyagah, the director for licensing, standards and advocacy at Wasreb.

READ: Maize flour prices reduce by Sh2 after Agriculture CS Peter Munya's intervention

A woman carries jerrycan in search of water on March 10, 2022 as she walks through the Mukuru Kwa Njenga informal settlements. (Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya

If the proposal is approved by the regulator, residents who consume about 15,000 litres per month should expect to pay Sh1,685 a Sh444 increase from the current Sh1,241.

On the other hand, residents or business that consume 55,000 litres monthly should expect a 28.45 percentage increase in their payments as the charges will go up from Sh4,952 to Sh6,922.

For those who fail to access piped water, Nairobi Water has reserved the lowest water price increases for bulk water suppliers and water kiosks increasing their tariffs to Sh32 from Sh30.

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NAIROBI, KENYA - 2022/01/11: A woman is seen filling her water container with water during the water shortage in Nairobi. (Photo by Donwilson Odhiambo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya

High cost of living for Kenyans

The proposal to increase water bills come at a time Kenyans are grappling with tough living conditions. Currently the price of maize flour has crossed Sh210, piling pressure on Kenyan households which struggle to afford food everyday.

Prices of cooking gas on the other hand have also been on the rise with the cost of refilling a 13-kilogramme cylinder currently at Sh3,500, from Sh2,978 at the start of the year.

Fuel prices have also increased. As of today, petrol costs Sh150.12 per litre, diesel Sh131 per litre and kerosene, Sh118.94 per litre according to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

READ: Maize flour prices reduce by Sh2 after Agriculture CS Peter Munya's intervention