Nairobi adds 10% waste fee to water bills, sets charges for boreholes and bowsers
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Nairobi adds 10% waste fee to water bills, sets charges for boreholes and bowsers
Nairobi residents who receive monthly water connections will now pay a 10% conservancy fee on their water bills under the newly enacted Nairobi City County Finance Act, 2026.
The charge, contained in Part XIV, Section 47 of the Nairobi City County Finance Act, 2026 (No. 4 of 2026), provides for a conservancy fee equivalent to 10% of the total monthly water bill for generators of solid waste with a monthly water connection.
The provision links the collection of the waste management charge directly to water billing, with the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) expected to collect and remit the funds to the Nairobi City County Government.
The new provision follows a proposal that Nairobi County began discussing with stakeholders in April as it sought a more predictable financing mechanism for solid waste management.
Public participation
On April 30, 2026, the county said it was consulting stakeholders on integrating the proposed conservancy fee into monthly water bills.
The proposal was presented as a way of financing solid waste collection, transportation and disposal services across the city.
At the time, the County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi, Maureen Njeri, said Nairobi generates about 3,600 tonnes of waste every day, but only between 45 and 55% is collected.
She said the uncollected waste ends up being illegally dumped and can find its way into rivers, roads and informal settlements, contributing to sanitation problems, blocked drainage and flooding.
Njeri also said the county had a Sh5 billion budget deficit, describing the existing funding model for waste management as unrealistic and insufficient.
Details of the conservancy fee
The county proposed the conservancy fee as a dedicated revenue stream for solid waste management, with the intention of creating predictable and scalable funding for the service.
A household receiving a Sh1,500 water bill would therefore have a Sh150 conservancy fee, while a Sh5,000 monthly bill would attract Sh500.
For premises with a Sh20,000 monthly water bill, the conservancy fee would amount to Sh2,000.
The Act states that the conservancy fee is imposed pursuant to Section 7 of the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act, 2015.
The Finance Act also sets out other charges relating to solid waste management.
Where solid waste is collected using county-owned trucks, monthly charges are set according to residential categories.
Units in informal settlements are listed at Sh100 per month, medium residential neighbourhoods at Sh300, and high-end residential areas at Sh600.
Hotels, restaurants and private institutions using county collection services are listed at Sh30,000 per month, while public institutions are charged Sh20,000.
The county has also provided for charges affecting private waste service providers.
Accreditation of a private waste collection truck is set at Sh20,000 annually, while community-based organisations operating in waste management are required to pay Sh5,000 annually for registration.
The Finance Act further provides charges for equipment confiscated by county authorities.
Confiscated garbage trucks attract a storage charge of Sh20,000 per day, while handcarts attract Sh1,000 per day. Generators, pumps and power saws attract Sh5,000 per day.
Commercial water users will also face separate charges under the updated water and sanitation schedule.
Charges for water bowsers and boreholes operating in Nairobi
A commercial borehole operating in Nairobi is subject to an annual permit fee of Sh100,000, while water bowsers with capacities of up to 10,000 litres attract an annual permit of Sh15,000 and those exceeding 10,000 litres attract Sh20,000.
When the conservancy fee was still under consultation in April, NCWSC Managing Director Martin Nang’ole said the company's role would be administrative.
He said Nairobi Water would collect the fee through the existing water billing system and remit it to the county government, while the revenue would be used to support solid waste management.
The county had said the additional revenue would support its efforts to improve waste collection, drainage and sanitation while pursuing a shift from a linear to a circular economy.
The 2026 Finance Act provides that the new charges take effect 14 days after publication in the Kenya Gazette, bringing into force the conservancy fee that had previously been presented by the county as a proposal.
Reporting originally appeared via Pulse Live Kenya. Read the full source for additional context.