State firms warned over Sh1b water bill

By Ally Jamah

Failure by large State-owned firms to remit dues to the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) is hampering its work.

So far KenGen, National Irrigation Board (NIB) and the Coast Water Services Board owe WRMA Sh1 billion. The authority’s chairman, Francis Nyenze yesterday issued a fresh warning to firms to pay up or face the law.

"We shall not relent from enforcing the provisions of the law to curtail the impunity demonstrated by big water abstractors," said Nyenze yesterday.

Under Legal Notice 171 of September 28, 2007 of the Kenya Gazette, large users of water are required to pay 50 cents per cubic metre of water they pull from lakes, rivers or underground sources.

KenGen uses water from the River Tana to generate electricity, while NIB uses large quantities for irrigation of rice fields in Mwea.

"WRMA’s ability of discharging its statutory mandate of managing water resources continues to be severely curtailed owing to non-remittance of water use charges by water abstractors, many of which are Government institutions," he said.

WRMA is responsible for regulation of water allocation, source protection, and conservation, water quality and pollution control.

The Authority’s CEO Phillip Olum said water use charges were introduced to increase efficiency in water use and support the cost of water resources management activities such as water catchment protection, monitoring of water quality and quantity among others.

"Most private companies are paying up. It is Government agencies that are giving us a big headache. That is unacceptable," he said.

Remit arrears

Last November, the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company was forced to pay its arrears to WRMA after the authority shut down Ndakaini Dam.

"We also closed the taps on the Coast Water Services Board, but political interference caused the taps to be reopened before they could pay our dues," said Mr Nyenze.

The authority’s Technical Manager Joseph Kinyua said they can receive at least Sh350 million annually if water use charges are paid on time.

He also warned that 32 prosecutors would soon take up all cases of people and firms using water against the regulations, including polluting water sources.

Nyenze said the Ministry of Water and Irrigation should de-register water service providers because they are grossly inefficient and are fleecing Kenyans.