Nairobi News

News

Poor paying Sh2,000 more for clean water


The city’s poor residents pay Sh2,000 more to access the same amount of water their tapped counterparts do.

The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWS) charges its consumers Sh18.7 for up to 10,000 litres of water consumed but the poor pay at least Sh5 for every 20 litres they use.

This means that the untapped residents will pay Sh2,500 for the same amount bought from water vendors.

This is the reality that most slum dwellers and even some estates face.

Korogocho chief Nyabuto Omache said water vendors have also been known to increase the price without warning.

“When there is scarcity, the prices shoot up,” said Omache.

For connected residents the more they consume, the less they pay.

From the NCWS tariffs, consumers of more than 60,000 litres pay Sh53.80, translating to a shilling for more than 1,000 litres of water consumed.

For other low income areas such as Kawangware and Kangemi, the lowest cost of untapped water is at least Sh5 for every 20 litres, but the cost can go up to Sh30.