NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 22 – An audit into the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) has revealed that over Sh344 million was billed across 23,384 customer accounts in 2024, despite zero payments and no disconnections—a lapse that lawmakers say has led to massive revenue leakage.The Senate Public Investments Committee has called for deeper scrutiny of the utility’s enforcement and billing practices after the audit also found over 10,000 active customer accounts that were never billed during the audit period.Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi decried the failure to disconnect non-paying customers, calling it a breach of public trust.“If a customer does not pay for 12 months and you do nothing, you’re either colluding with them or have abandoned your duty to the public,” the committee chair said during a session on Monday.Nairobi Governor Johnston Sakaja acknowledged what he termed as “inherited challenges” and claimed reforms were underway, including improved enforcement and customer communication. Senators were however unimpressed.The Auditor-General confirmed that no evidence was provided during the audit to justify the lack of disconnections. Sakaja insisted records were submitted, blaming late responses on internal delays.Contested billsThe committee directed the Auditor-General to verify the disputed accounts physically and warned of further scrutiny.The audit also exposed a Sh547 million dispute with Kiambu-based water service providers over unpaid bulk water bills dating back to the 1970s—liabilities inherited from the defunct Nairobi City Council.Sakaja blames guard dogs, locked gates amid water bill manipulation concernsSakaja also clashed with senators over a Sh1.7 billion regulatory fee demanded by the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), arguing that the non-profit utility cannot afford to continue paying high charges while many Nairobi residents still lack clean water.“We are not running a profit-making company,” Sakaja said. “We cannot afford huge regulatory costs while people in Kayole and Njiru suffer without water.”Senators concluded the hearing with a warning that NCWSC, flagged in the audit as a “growing concern,” could face further parliamentary sanctions if the issues remain unresolved.“These are not just numbers,” Senator Sifuna said. “They represent failed service delivery to Nairobians. We will not let this go unpunished.”