Gatanga residents will now be required to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for their water bills.

This is after a proposal by Gatanga Water & Sanitation Company (GATAWASCO) to raise the water tariffs sailed through in a heated public hearing at Gatanga Blue Post Hotel.

The company has proposed that charges for up to six units of water be charged KSh120, up from KSh33 per unit.

While proposing the raise water charges, GATAWASCO had decried lack of funds to expand its infrastructure.

Reason for hiking water tarrifs

The company chairperson Bishop Julius Wanyoike said lack of funds was the greatest impediment to excellent service delivery as they also want to revamp it’s sewer system and rusty, leaking pipes.

According to Wanyoike, the company finds itself at crossroads of the swelling population, necessity to overhaul its infrastructure as well as providing afforbale water to residents.

Political leaders have on several occasion noted that residents cannot afford the new hiked water tariffs.

Wanyoike said most of the pipes were installed 50 years ago and has never been repaired thus a need for review of the tariffs rates to enable the company mordernise its infrastructure.

‘It’s outrageous!’

GATAWASCO is embarking on a KSh41 million investment that will improve its service delivery.

Murang’a County Assembly Deputy Speaker Moses Gachui who attended the public participation forum differed with the proposed tariffs terming them as outrageous.

The Speaker who doubles as the Githumbuini MCA said the water company needed first to rebuild trust to the residents by connecting all homesteads with water before hiking the bills adding that some still could not access water.

He argued that the proposed rate increases a significant burden for many rural locals who are grappling with the hard economic uncertainty.

Gachui warned that if the company implements the new tarrifs, many homes will be disconnected from the supply chain and deny them their constitutional right to basic needs.

He however called for an elaborate public participation in a venue closer to the community and not in a hotel.

Hiked water tariffs

Among the adopted proposals is that charges for up to six units of water be charged KSh120 up from KSh33 per unit.

Commercial entities and domestic consumers especially those utilizing around seven to 20 units of water currently pay KSh50 per unit but will now be required to pay KSh135.

Charges for 21 to 50 units will rise from KSh65 to KSh150 per unit, 51 to 100 units will cost KSh165 per unit up from KSh80.

A hundred and one (101) to 300 units will be charged KSh180 from KSh100 while over 300 units of water will be charged KSh190 up from KSh130 per unit.

The company said the the proposed new tariffs will be effected from July this year to 2029.