Governors criticises the increase in water bills in new regulations
The Council of Governors have castigated a move by the Ministry of Water to raise regulatory charges on water companies tenfold.
The raise in regulatory charges came after the reforms recommended to the government by the World Bank after it approved a Sh80 billion loan to help the country respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the governers said the move is not only a setback in the ongoing battle against the Covid-19 but also a clear way of putting the price of the precious commodity way beyond many Kenyans.
“…Consequently, implementation of the regulations will severely compromise the ability of the 47 County Governments to guarantee access to water as a basic right and for containment of the virus,” read part of the statement.
Additionally, the council said that the drastic increase of fees chargeable from 50 cents to Sh5 per cubic metre of water for domestic use and farming is a sure way of killing the rural economy where majority of Kenyans reside.
The governors said they had no part in drawing up Legal Notice No. 168 (Water Services Regulations, 2021), which raises user charges from 50 cents per cubic metre to Sh5 for domestic use and livestock farming and would not support it.
“I wish to categorically state that the Council of Governors will not support these increments as doing so would be tantamount to denying the provision of accessible water and sanitation to Wanjiku,” read the statement.
They also said despite water service provision being a devolved function, they were not consulted.
“We call upon the Senate to consider the views raised by the Council of Governors during the formative stages of the regulations. Further, we urge Water and Sanitation CS to immediately embrace consultative engagements with all stakeholders to ensure a harmonious position on the way forward regarding the issue at hand,” said the council.
The council regretted that the pandemic has affected the income of most households.
According to the council, they have written to the National Assembly and the Senate seeking an urgent meeting to discuss the issue which if left unattended will hinder the provision of water and sanitation to the citizenry.
Further, they urged Water and Sanitisation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki to immediately embrace consutative engagements with all stakeholders in order to ensure that they take a harmonious position on the way forward regarding the issue.
In the regulations published by Kariuki, water companies will be required to top up five per cent of the charges as conservation levy.
“A person in possession of a valid water use permit or who is required to have a valid permit for water use shall pay in addition to the water use charge… a levy amounting to five percent of the monthly water use charge as a water conservation levy,” stated the new regulations.
User charges have been raised from 50 cents per cubic metre to Sh.5 for domestic use and livestock farming.
