Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa told reporters that users who start a water abstraction permit but do not finish the process after installing infrastructure are billed on the volume they initially declared, not on actual consumption.

Because these users lack an active meter, the Water Resources Authority (WRA) applies an estimated charge of Ksh10 per 1,000 litres, which is higher than rates for fully permitted, metered users.

When a permit is approved and a functional meter is in place, the WRA charges Ksh2 per 1,000 litres for domestic and livestock use and Ksh2.50 per 1,000 litres for pure domestic use.

How water-use charges differ from regular water bills

Mugaa clarified that WRA water-use charges are levied at the point of abstraction—rivers, dams or underground aquifers—whereas ordinary water bills are issued by county utilities for water supplied to homes and businesses.

Government push for smart meters and reporting tools

The cabinet secretary urged households to install and maintain valid meters to ensure billing reflects actual use, and announced a drive for GSM‑enabled smart meters that transmit readings directly from the abstraction point.

For owners of older volumetric meters, the WRA has released a mobile application that allows users to submit monthly readings electronically.