City water firm ‘cannot account’ for Sh2.4b sales during Covid crisis
By Alvin.Mwangi, February 28, 2023The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company is on the spot after it emerged that it cannot account for Sh2.48 billion from the sale of water during the Covid-19 period.
During a County Assembly Public Investments committee (PIC) meeting, it emerged the firm supplied some eight million cubic metres of water to informal settlements at the height of the pandemic.
The firm’s Managing Director Nahashon Muguna was at pains to explain why the company supplied water valued at Sh2.5 billion but declared only Sh16 million.
PIC chairperson Hashim Kamau also challenged Muguna to provide work tickets to show how the water was supplied to the informal settlements.
“What we are witnessing is totally wrong. It appears that some cheeky individuals took advantage during Covid-19 and decided to make money,” he said.
According to the report, there were 22 water bowsers from the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) which were supplying water at a cost of Sh2,500 and Sh5,000 for 8,000 and 16,000 litres truck capacity, respectively.
In his defence, Muguna said the Sh2.5 billion in question was an exaggeration.
The MD held that there was no way 8,039,437 cubic metres of water could have been supplied during the period under review.
“What we are being accused of is far from the truth. We did not supply water to that capacity. Two, people should also know that during Covid most of our customers did not pay us,” he said.
Further, he said the company gave water free to informal settlements as directed by the national government.