Thousands of residents in a section of the Nairobi Metropolitan area have not received water for a week after Kenya Power disconnected water firms from the electrical grid.
Oloolaiser Water and Sewerage Company which is situated in Ongata Rongai had the power supply to its main pumping stations cut off over non-payment of bills to the utility company.
The water firm serves an estimated 250,000 people residing in Ongata Rongai, Kiserian, Matasia and Ngong areas.
“We have had all our water pumping stations disconnected for accrued and unpaid bills.
The water company's management is liaising with the Kajiado County government towards the resolution of the impasse and curb impending crisis that may be aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic,” a notice by the company read in part.
The water supplier stated that the bills accrued were due to its customers defaulting on their bills as well.
“It is further our appeal and kind reminder to all our customers with a pending unpaid water bill to please make payments towards the full settlement of the bill and partner with us in the restoration of service,” it urged the residents.
Kenya Power has more than Ksh20 billion in unpaid bills with Ksh5 billion accumulated over years.
The company added that more than half a million customers had failed to pay electricity bills in the three months to June, pushing new defaults in the months to Ksh3.9 billion.
About Ksh2 billion of the debt is owed by customers in Nairobi, while those at the Coast region has accrued a debt of Ksh845.7 million.
In June 2020, Kenya Power issued its third profit warning in a row, citing reduced electricity consumption due to coronavirus control measures and the rising cost of buying wholesale power.
The utility company in August 2020, sourced for debt collectors to recover up to Ksh5 billion worth of unpaid bills from defaulters who had already been disconnected from the grid.
