Water bills are set to increase in five Kenyan counties after the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) approved new tariffs for several water companies.
The affected counties are Kirinyaga, Mandera, Kiambu, Homa Bay and Nyeri.
The new tariffs will apply during the 2026/2027 to 2028/2029 financial years. The changes are expected to take effect one month after the gazette notices issued on September 11, 2026.
In Kirinyaga, customers served by Kirinyaga County Water and Sanitation PLC will pay KSh80 per cubic metre for monthly consumption of between one and six cubic metres. The rate will rise to KSh145 for customers using more than 300 cubic metres.
In Mandera, customers served by Takaba Water and Sewerage Company will face some of the highest charges. Domestic rates will start at KSh180 per cubic metre and rise to KSh312 for heavy users.
Residents served by Kiambu Water and Sewerage Company will pay KSh91 for the first six cubic metres, with the rate increasing to KSh160 for consumption above 300 cubic metres.
Homa Bay customers will also see higher bills after WASREB approved a 4.46 per cent increase for the 2026/2027 billing year.
In Nyeri, Tetu Aberdare Water and Sanitation Company received approval for a 4.37 per cent tariff increase.
WASREB said the adjustments followed applications by the affected water companies and were aimed at improving service delivery, supporting sustainable operations and protecting consumers.
Sewerage charges will also increase in most of the affected areas, generally being calculated at 75 per cent of a customer's metered water consumption.
The new tariffs come shortly after WASREB approved changes affecting other counties, meaning more households could see changes in their water bills.
Customers in the five affected counties are therefore expected to start seeing the new charges on their bills once the changes take effect.