Eldoret residents have expressed outrage following a ruling by the Environment and Land Court, which struck out their petition against new water tariffs introduced by Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS).
The court dismissed the case, citing lack of jurisdiction, effectively clearing the way for a 300 percent increase in water charges.
Speaking to the media after a meeting in Eldoret, residents led by Kipkorir Menjo vowed to appeal the decision, saying the ruling would make life and business in Uasin Gishu County unbearable.
“Last week our petition was dismissed, and today we have discussed the way forward on how to appeal. The increase will make many people uncomfortable to continue with their businesses, especially car wash owners, hence making our city very costly,” Menjo stated.
He argued that since water supplied to Eldoret flows by gravity, the sharp tariff hike was unjustified and insisted that capital projects should be funded through loans, rather than overburdening consumers.
Furthermore, Menjo urged residents to attend a meeting scheduled for Tuesday next week, where they plan to mobilize funds to sustain their push against the tariff hike.
Consumers’ lawyer, Mathai Maina, announced that they would file an application for stay of execution to stop the tariff implementation.
“We shall continue fighting until we secure fair and affordable tariffs for Eldoret residents,” he said.
Abubakar Bini, chairperson of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) North Rift region, condemned the ruling and called on President William Ruto’s administration to intervene.
“It is impossible to increase tariffs by 300 per cent. This will expose people to diseases such as cholera as they may opt for unsafe water sources. We are ready to go to the streets, not for politics, but for water, which affects everyone,” Bini said.
Flora Chemweno, one of the residents, echoed the concerns noting that water is sourced freely from Elgeyo Marakwet and should not attract exorbitant charges.
Another resident, Nelson Kiprono, described the ruling as a blow to public interest, saying, “Water should be free of charge.”
He appealed to Uasin Gishu governor Jonathan Bii and other local leaders to step in.The dispute traces back to Kenya Gazette Notice No. 12825, published on October 4, 2024, in which the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) approved tariff adjustments following a stakeholder meeting in Eldoret. ELDOWAS had applied for the adjustments in January 2024.
On March 25, 2025, Justice Emmanuel Washe of the same court had temporarily halted the implementation of the tariffs, pending full hearing of the case filed by the Eldoret Residents Association.
However, with last week’s ruling striking out the petition, the contested tariffs are now set to take effect, unless successfully challenged on appeal.
Residents have vowed to pursue the matter until ELDOWAS agrees to review the tariffs and adopt a structure they consider fair to all.
by Fredrick Maritim & Godfrey Kipkulei
