By Robert Mutasi 
Residents of Eldoret will pay less for water after the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) approved a downward revision of tariffs for Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS).
Under the new structure, domestic consumers using up to six cubic metres will pay KSh 84 per cubic metre, down from the previous rate of KSh 130 per cubic metre. The reduced charges cover the 2026/2027 to 2028/2029 financial years and follow a Gazette notice issued on 17 August 2026.
The revision stems from an arbitration ruling by the Water Tribunal after ELDOWAS and its customers contested earlier high rates gazetted in 2024. Residents had challenged the proposed increases through court petitions, leading to conservatory orders and eventual negotiations that produced the lower tariff.
WASREB revoked the previous approved rates and introduced the new schedule after public consultations required under the Water Act. Higher consumption bands will still attract progressive rates, reaching KSh 140 per cubic metre for usage above 300 cubic metres. Commercial, industrial and government consumers will pay from KSh 108 per cubic metre for the first 50 cubic metres, while water kiosks face a uniform rate of KSh 88.
Eldoret is one of four utilities whose tariffs were reviewed, but it stands out as the only one granted a reduction amid broader upward adjustments elsewhere.
This tariff cut offers genuine relief to ordinary households at a time when the cost of living remains high. Affordable water is a basic necessity, and the arbitration process shows that organised consumer action can force regulators and utilities to reconsider unsustainable charges.
Yet lasting improvement will require more than lower rates. ELDOWAS must also address service reliability, reduce non-revenue water and invest in infrastructure so that residents not only pay less but receive consistent, quality supply.