An Environment and Land Court has issued orders directing the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) to stop billing its customers using the controversial tariff.
The Eldoret court in an order issued on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, instead asked the company to use the previous tarrif.
While issuing orders when a petition challenging the new tarrif came up for mentioning, Justice Emanuel Washe directed Eldowas to generate water bills starting from October last year based on the old tariffs.
“The gazette notice No. 12825 dated on 21/10/2024 be and hereby stayed pending determination and hearing of the petition,” justice Washe said in part of his ruling.
He further directed consumers to pay for their outstanding Eldowas water bills generated from October with the old rates.
Why Eldoret court stopped new water tarrif
According to the court, it is in public interest that Eldowas continues billing its customers using the old tarrifs pending hearing and determination of the case before it.
“If the court does not confirm the new tariffs, the residents will have suffered financially for no reason if they continue paying with the new tariffs,” the judge observed.
The ruling will come as a relief to Eldoret locals who continue to pay high water bills following an upward review of the tarrifs.
In the now stayed gazette notice, the company had increased the cost of a unit of water to Ksh 130 for household consumption.
Locals were however up in arms over the new tarrif which they claim was never subjected to the required public participation.
It is on this basis that the Eldoret Residents Association filed the case seeking to stop the new tarrif.
Despite the case ongoing, Eldowas has been demanding payments the water bills based on the contested tarrif.
“The court order is total relief for the consumers who were being harassed by ELDOWAS for noncompliance,” said Eldoret Residents Association spokesperson Kipkoror Menjo.
The case is set to come up for more directions before the Eldoret Employment and Labour Relations Court on May 13, 2025.
