NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31 – The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) is making progress into investigations in the activities of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, following a flurry of public complaints.
The three-prong probe which was initiated by the government seeks to scrutinise the company’s strategic role in service delivery, irregularities in human resource management and addressing of customer complaints.
The Nairobi Water Company\’s acting Managing Director Philip Gichuki admitted that corruption was rife at the water company and stated that it was crucial for KACC to move and help streamline issues at the company.
“They are still examining our systems with a view at identifying the gaps where there is likelihood to have corruption. They are still in the process and as they promised they are going to take 45 days,” he stated.
He was speaking during the launch of its customer service charter which he says will help the company serve Nairobi residents better.
“The most critical one is when you apply for a water connection. You fill the required forms, provide the required information and then you pay. All this is supposed to take a maximum of 14 days before you are connected,” Mr Gichuki said.
The water company launched a customer service charter seeking to improve the quality of service delivery to city residents.
Mr Gichuki said the Charter will make water and sewerage services more efficient and effective to the company’s customers.
He expressed the company’s commitment to ensuring continued improved reliability of water services.
“At the management level we are committed to ensure that whatever we have published in the service charter, we are going to meet the time frame that is stated there,” he stated. “In case there is failure in any of our offices, you are supposed to complain to our regional manager.”
Mr Gichuki urged residents to further play their role in providing feed back to the water service provider in an effort to improve its efficiency.
“Beyond that there is the head office, where you contact the directors, whose contacts we are also going to publish so that you can complain directly to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia said there was need for water service providers to give city residents improved service especially with the passage of a new Constitution.
Mr Kisia stated that Kenyans will be more in touch with their rights as contained in the Bill of Rights section of the new Constitution.
He however urged Nairobi residents not to put all the blame of bad service on City Hall as this would impede its operations.
“We have been cleaning the entire city and if you are to be honest nowadays we come to Woodley, Korogocho and clear drainage apart from collecting litter on a 24 hour basis.
I can also assure you that the money for this exercise comes from the tax payer,” he said.
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