Nairobi residents have accused officials at the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSCO) of extortion practises. [PHOTO/standardmedia.co.ke]Nairobi residents are accusing a section of officials at the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSCO) of extortion practises.
The residents claim that the officials usually subject them to unfair disconnections that force them to pay a Sh1,000 re-connection fees which they allegedly pocket.
According to Anthony Njeru, a resident on Menelik Road of Kilimani, his water was irregularly disconnected some months ago despite him clearing his bills.
"I had a bill of Sh900, which I had paid through mobile money transfer on November 28, 2016. On the 30th, officials from the Nairobi water company came knocking and disconnected my water, claiming I had an outstanding balance," Njeru said.
He added that the officials told him that they had printed his bill on the 27th and that their records showed he had not paid.
They then proceeded to disconnect the water despite his showing them proof of payment.
"They told me that the payment was not reflected in their system and that if I wanted my water to be re-connected, I should pay them a Sh1,000 fee," said Njeru.
The said officials then disconnected the meter reader and later sent him an additional bill of Sh5,000.
"They said they usually targeted high-end areas because they knew that residents would pay immediately to have their water re-connected," Njeru said.
According to NWSCO communications director Mbaruk Vyakweli, residents should refrain from making any payments to the officials.
"You should pay directly to our offices or through mobile money transfer platforms," he said, adding that sometimes money paid through mobile transfer took some time to reflect on their end.