School children from Nairobi County are set to benefit after Governor Evans Kidero ordered the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company to clear water bill arrears amounting to Sh41 Million.
The County Government promised to meet the full charges owed so far in 16 city schools that had been disconnected due to bills that had not been paid in over one year.
"I am ordering the water company to reconnect water to the schools and the City government will pay once everything is sorted out," he declared from City Hall yesterday.
The Governor further observed that the bills were the responsibility of the National Government who were to blame for the crisis.
Earlier reports from various school heads indicated that Dr Kidero had struck a deal with the water company to grant amnesty to the public schools when he ascended to power but failed to make good on the promise.
Kidero's failure to honour the pledge had caused a crisis in a section of primary schools within the city, that have been grappling with huge water debts ranging around Sh500,000.
Read More: School Children Left Suffering as Kidero's Team Fails to Keep Promise
He also conveyed that the County administration was set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Government which will ensure President Uhuru Kenyatta's government would assist in the management of the primary and secondary schools to ensure the crisis does not emerge again.
"We were almost signing the MoU with the Education ministry but since Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i took over we have not been able to do so. Once it is signed the County Government will pay off the Sh41 Million debt," Dr Kidero stated.
Nairobi Water Chairman Raphael Nzomo assured that water would be reconnected in the affected schools by Wednesday morning and urged the government to sign the MoU.
