Government Lowers Water Prices

The Government has reversed an earlier directive to increase water prices across the country starting December 2021.

In a statement on Thursday, December 2, 2021, the government in a review slashed water prices for both domestic and commercial use.

The earlier Directive by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation would have seen prices increase from Ksh50 cents per unit to Ksh5 per unit. This would have subject members of the public to a Ksh5 extra burden per unit.

In the latest review, the government announced that water for domestic consumption will cost Ksh2 per unit down from Ksh5, while irrigation water will cost Ksh1 per unit.

The price cuts come as a huge relief for Kenyans who continue to bear the burden of high prices of consumer goods among other products and utilities.

Under the revised tariffs, the Water Resources Authority (WRA) is expected to collect over Ksh4 billion annually which will go towards enforcement of water abstraction rules.

Speaking during a forum with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), John Kinyanjui, a senior manager in WRA, noted that the ministry reduced the prices after a series of consultations with different stakeholders.

“The ministry has agreed to review the water tariffs from the proposed Ksh 5 to Ksh 2 and Ksh 1 for domestic and irrigation users consecutively,” he stated.

During the forum, Kinyanjui launched the Catchment to Tap (C2T) programme that seeks to address water security in catchment areas.

“We have in the past recorded conflicts due to water shortage as the country is classified as a water-stretched country and we should conserve the catchment areas,” he noted.

The programme will also aim to protect existing water sources while preventing pollution of these catchment areas across the country.

“Last year we had a rise in water levels in lakes while now several counties are suffering from drought and this programme will address challenges in the water towers,” Kinyanjui said.

“We are working with other stakeholders mainly in water catchment areas and we are keen on water, sanitation, and hygiene," he added.

The reduction in water prices comes at a time when Kenyans are waiting on the task force appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to complete the downward review of electricity prices.