A damning report by the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) has exposed massive financial, operational, and governance failures at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC).
According to the report, NCWSC unlawfully spent Ksh 1.2 billion in customer deposits without regulatory approval. The utility is also operating without a valid license, lacks both a strategic and business plan, and is exposed to fraud risks stemming from technical failures on the government’s e-Citizen portal.
Wasreb further reveals that the company is riddled with irregularities, including holding shares under non-legal entities tied to Nairobi County offices, lacking valid effluent discharge licenses for key wastewater plants, and leaving major treatment facilities exposed to land-grabbing threats.
Alarmingly, the firm reports a 47.9% non-revenue water loss, nearly double the industry’s acceptable benchmark, while a significant portion of its workforce is either in acting roles or beyond the legal retirement age.
