A section of residents from Nakuru East have raised concerns about the high water bills they are receiving, attributing the increase to the recent installation of new meters by the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company Limited (NAWASSCO).

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu, Samuel Kunyiha, a resident of Kisulisuli Estate, explains that before the meters were changed, their water bills were affordable and manageable.

“We had the meters replaced around December 2024. Previously, our household bill would typically be less than Sh. 1,000. Now, our bill ranges between Sh. 2,000 and Sh. 2,500, even though our water consumption has remained the same,” he laments.

Nelson Kinyua, another resident from Kanyon estate, expressed his frustration, saying, “It feels as though I’m running a hotel, yet I live in a single household. This is just unreasonable.”

He says their residence has a shared meter, and water is opened twice a week for eight people to share.

This would previously translate to a water bill ranging from Sh. 250 to Sh. 300 but now records between Sh. 550 to Sh. 700.

“I’d pay a bill of Sh. 280 per month but now my bill is between Sh. 350 and Sh. 400. If NAWASSCO thought this a good idea, then they need to know it’s not because we have not seen a difference only an increase in our troubles.” he says.

When asked if they had been informed by NAWASSCO about the changes, he responds, “They mentioned that the meters were being changed due to sanitation issues. They also explained that the previous meters had a standing charge, which they wanted to eliminate, but most importantly, they aimed to improve the accuracy of our meter readings.”

Unfortunately, Kinyua says they were never told if their new bills would also translate to paying a standing charge.

On her part, Lydia Muhanji wonders why her bill now stands at about Sh. 8,400 yet she has barely been to her house in the past three months and even when she's at home she rarely uses her water.

“Around November I went to NAWASSCO to complain about not receiving my bill over the phone which they fixed. By December, they disconnected my water and my bill stood at Sh.5,000, despite that and not being home at all in that period,” she says frustrated.

She questions how her bill accumulated yet it was disconnected, adding that unfortunately after confronting the company, she was told whether she had water or not her bill would remain the same.

“When I moved to this residence, I used to pay about Sh. 500 per month for my water bill, but now the costs are nearing Sh. 10,000 after NAWASSCO asked that I pay a Sh. 1,000 reconnecting fee in addition to my bill. This is harassing clients and is unacceptable.”

The residents are calling for NAWASSCO to review the new billing system and clarify the reasons behind the sudden increases with many hoping for a more transparent process and better communication from the utility company.

Mtaa Wangu reached out to the Managing Director NAWASSCO, James Ng'ang'a, for clarity over the issue. However, calls and texts to his known number went unanswered.

Section of Nakuru residents record high water bills since installation of new meters

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Leleti Jassor