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Nairobi Water MD: Most govt institutions don’t pay their bills
21st July, 2025 06:59 PM
Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Managing Director Nahashon Muguna has raised concerns over the growing debt owed by government institutions in Nairobi, most of which have consistently failed to pay their water bills.
While appearing before the Senate on Monday, July 21, 2025, alongside Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Muguna painted a grim picture of the situation, stating that the unpaid bills by public institutions have put the county under immense financial strain.
Muguna revealed that over 245 public primary schools in Nairobi are receiving water but have not been paying for it.
He noted that although these schools are being billed regularly, attempts to disconnect them are often met with political backlash. According to him, the schools are allocated only Ksh9 per student to cater for water bills, an amount he described as far too little compared to the actual consumption
According to Muguna, attempts to disconnect water supply to defaulting schools often attract political backlash, particularly from leaders who argue that the schools are underfunded.
This, he noted, complicates enforcement measures and puts the water utility in a difficult position when it comes to revenue collection.
“We have over 245 primary schools which are billing and not paying for water bills in Nairobi, which, when I disconnect, I will have trouble with politicians like Senator Sifuna. They have clearly shown that the capitation they receive is not enough to pay for water; they are given Ksh 9 per student to pay for water, which is inconsistent with the volume of water used by the students,” he stated.
Military installations
The problem, however, extends beyond schools. Muguna singled out military installations like the Moi Airbase, which he said have not paid their water bills since October 2024.
Even before that, their payment record was irregular. Efforts to disconnect such institutions are practically impossible due to security restrictions.
Muguna highlighted that these areas are heavily guarded and inaccessible to water company personnel, making disconnection operations unfeasible.
“Many of the government institutions are not paying; the military has not paid since October last year. Before that, still, they were not paying. If you disconnect, you can’t because the area is heavily guarded and no unauthorised personnel can enter. When you go to Moi Airbase, you can’t disconnect,” he added.
It was also during the same event that the MD raised alarm over 15,000 metres not billed due to a hostile reception by Nairobi residents to the utility staff.
