Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced a new "conservancy fee" to be attached to water bills, a move aimed at boosting county revenues but one that threatens to squeeze already strained household budgets in the capital.

In a bid to expand the city's revenue base, the Nairobi County government is introducing a mandatory conservancy fee, which will now appear as a line item on all Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) bills. The move is part of a broader "raft of changes" intended to monetize city services and plug budget deficits, but it has drawn immediate scrutiny from residents grappling with the high cost of living.

The Mechanics of the Fee

The fee structure is progressive, pegged to water consumption bands:

• Domestic Users: Households will see a tiered charge. While the exact 2026 surcharge amounts are being finalized, they layer on top of the existing water tariffs which already saw a hike recently (with the lowest band charged at approx. KES 45 per cubic meter).
• Commercial Impact: Businesses and institutions, already paying premium rates for water, will bear a heavier burden, potentially passing these costs onto consumers.
• Collection Efficiency: By pegging the fee to the water bill—a utility few can do without—the County ensures a high compliance rate, bypassing the evasion issues that plague other revenue streams like land rates.

The "Service vs. Cost" Debate

The Governor’s office argues that the funds are essential for environmental management, garbage collection, and maintaining the city's "Green City in the Sun" status. However, for residents of estates like Pipeline and Umoja, where water rationing is chronic and garbage collection is erratic, the new fee feels like a penalty rather than a service charge. The success of this levy will depend entirely on visibility: if Nairobians see cleaner streets and flowing taps, the grumbling may subside. If the service remains poor, this fee could become a political flashpoint in the run-up to the next election cycle.