Barely a year after Eldoret was granted city status, residents are shouldering the financial weight of that elevation, with the High Court approving a 300 per cent water tariff increase by the local utility company.
The Environment and Land Court in Eldoret struck out a petition on Wednesday that had challenged the new water fee, effectively paving the way for the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) to implement the revised rates.
Justice Emmanuel Washe ruled that the petition filed by residents Mr Kipkorir Menjo and Mr David Chebet was in contravention of the Water Act, and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. He lifted earlier suspension orders issued on March 25, 2025, thereby allowing Eldowas to proceed with the new tariffs.
A monument of a maize cob on Kenyatta Street in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County on September 04, 2024.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The decision means residents will now pay three times more for water, a move the company argues is necessary to fund Sh2.2 billion worth of infrastructure development approved by the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb).
“We will proceed with the implementation in line with Wasreb’s guidelines and customer notification procedures,” said Lawrence Tanui, managing director of Eldowas.
He said while some accounts will still be charged under the old rates, future billing cycles will reflect the approved increase.
“We are seeking legal interpretation on billing relating to the five months billed under the new tariff and the six months under the old tariff. Guidance will be shared once finalised,” said Tanui.
While Eldoret's promotion to city status brought with it expectations of better services and infrastructure, residents say the opposite has happened, particularly in water provision.
The city, now home to over 500,000 people, continues to suffer from frequent dry taps, discoloured supply, and poor drainage systems, problems that have persisted despite the existence of the Sh1.5 billion Chebara Dam, commissioned in 1999 by the late president Moi.
An monument on Kago Street-Moi Street roundabout in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County in this picture taken on September 4, 2024.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
“There is a need for the water firm to replace its ageing infrastructure, blamed for the periodic water shortages and discolouration, and deliver water services befitting city status,” said Mr David Kosgei, a resident of West Indies Estate.
According to Eldowas, the city requires at least 60 million litres of water daily, but currently manages just 43 million litres. The company also loses 38 per cent of its water, an estimated 18 billion litres daily to illegal connections and leakages, costing between Sh500 million and Sh1 billion each month.
Despite the ruling, petitioners have vowed to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
“The ruling is unwarranted and an abuse of the law,” said Mr Kipkorir Menjo, one of the petitioners.
“As much as the residents rejoiced at the elevation to city status, they must now be ready to fund services through increased taxes and other levies that come with such prestige,” she said.
Members of the public take photographs next to a monument on Oginga Odinga Street in Eldoret City on August 20, 2024.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
A 2023/2024 Auditor General’s report paints a grim financial picture for Eldowas. The company owes Sh256.6 million for the Chebara Treatment Plant alone, and its total liabilities stand at Sh528.2 million, down slightly from Sh597.4 million in the previous year.
These debts include Sh279.3 million for Chebara expansion, Sh188.1 million for Lessos Water Supply, and Sh656.8 million for Ellegirini/Kapsoya projects.
The firm inherited part of the debt from the now-defunct Eldoret Municipal Council, which had taken a Sh1.058 billion loan from KfW (Belgium) to build the Chebara Dam. The National Treasury restructured the loan to Sh312.5 million in 2020.
The Chebara Dam, located in Elgeyo Marakwet County but managed by Eldowas in Uasin Gishu County, has been a source of dispute.
More than 600 families living near the dam say they are not connected to piped water and receive little to no Corporate Social Responsibility benefits.
“It is like living close to a river but washing our hands with spit,” said Mr Edwin Kipkorir, a resident of Chebara.
A street in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County on May 25, 2023.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
He and others demand a review of past agreements between the now-defunct local authorities and Eldowas to ensure host communities benefit from the project.
They also cite losses, including livestock drowning, submerged schools, and a lack of compensation for affected families.
“The firm should erect a permanent fence around the dam to protect animals and even human beings from drowning, while the government should hasten compensation and reconstruction of submerged infrastructure,” said Mr Julius Chepting, another resident.
Despite government allocations for the redevelopment of affected institutions, such as Sh237.6 million for Chebara Boys High School and Sh136.2 million for Chebara Youth Polytechnic, many projects have stalled or never began.
Local leaders have called for investigations into the misappropriation of public funds meant for the host communities.
