Angry residents of Eldoret are threatening to carry out street protests to demand withdrawal of new water tarrifs which have been increased by more than 250 per cent.
Hundreds of the residents turned up for a meeting where it was resolved that court action and protests be used to stop enforcement of the tarrifs.
Members of religious, groups, business community and representatives of institution termed the tarrifs as punitive and unacceptable.
Representatives including Kipkorir Menjo, Abubakar Bini and Joyce Korir said they had instructed lawyers to urgently move to court over the matter.
“As residents and water consumers, we will take to the streets and stop all operations in town if the water tarrifs are not reversed,” Korir said.
However, Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company has defended the move.
The tarrifs are already in force with residents who were paying average of Sh1,000 monthly now paying in excess of Sh3,000 for almost same amount of water consumed.
The residents termed the changes as unjustifiable, adding that they will not accept to be frustrated at a time when the economic situation is hard.
“We cannot accept such increase without proper involvement of residents who are the consumers,” Menjo said.
He said it was not proper for the company to levy charges which most residents will not be able to afford. The water firm is owned by Uasin Gishu county and residents have petitioned Governor Jonathan Bii to intervene and have the new charges withdrawn.
Bii said he would meet with Eldowas's managers over the matter. Eldowas manager for commercial services Fredrick Kosgei said the new tariffs had gone through all necessary approvals including public participation and were within reasonable margins in the country.
He said both residential and commercial consumers would derive better services from company, which had lined up major projects to help improve supply and quality of water to residents of Eldoret and its environs.
From the new tariffs, the company projects to collect more than Sh1.4 billion from consumers annually that will be an increment from about Sh850 million collected last year.
“Our tariffs had not been renewed for some time but with focus on moving to better services, we believe residents will derive more benefits from better performance by Eldowas,” Kosgei said.
He said the company planned to upgrade its water piping system which was laid many years ago, and was contributing to heavy losses of water through leakages.
Eldowas plans to use more than Sh1.4 billion to lay a new water system in parts of the town along with new sewers systems. It also plans extend the water lines to new areas of the city or access by more residents.
“Comparatively, the new tariffs are
not punitive and we urge residents of
Eldoret to understand the situation
we are in and the plans we have to
ensure as a city with increasing population, there is higher demand for
water which we can only meet with
their support,” Kosgei said.
