Nairobi residents will be forced to suffer more following the new looming taxes that have come as a result of the passing of the 2018 Finance act that suggested an 8% VAT.
The residents will now have to pay more for water as a new tax is set to be implemented on water services within Nairobi.
A Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company official, speaking on condition of anonymity, divulged that a new levy could be introduced on the water supplied to the city.
The official, however, declined to reveal the percentage of the new levy, amid a rift that has been going on over Ndakaini dam with Murang’a MCAs threatening to disconnect the water supply to Nairobi.
This comes after the proposal made by Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria to have a 25 per cent levy on the revenue from the water generated from Ndakaini dam.
According to the governor, the money from the tax should be paid to the farmers in his county instead of the government.
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata had insisted that the revenue should be raised to 40 per cent to enable conservation of the environment in order to sustain the supply of the water.
Kang’ata explained that he had reached out to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation CS Simon Chelugi in writing to convene a meeting between the county government assembly, water companies and the national government.
“We have to fight for revenue sharing for our water, but I don’t support the fighting we’ve been seeing,” remarked the senator.
Majority Leader Eric Kamande stated that a meeting between the MCAs and residents of Murang’a is set to take place this week in regards to drafting a bill to regulate the water sector.
The acting Nairobi county Assembly Speaker Chege Mwaura, sent a delegation to Murang’a to discuss the matter and have a progress report sent to him.
“I believe it is important that we engage our colleagues in the Murang’a County assembly to find a lasting solution,” stated Mwaura.
Governor Wa Iria revealed that the completion of the Northern Collector tunnel in 2019 will facilitate the channeling of approximately one billion litres of water from Murang’a to Nairobi.