By Dorothy Musyoka
The Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds has put Makueni County’s water companies under scrutiny following a damning report by the Auditor General on their financial management.
In a session held at Parliament Buildings, the committee engaged Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and his executives over concerns raised in the audit report for the 2023/2024 financial year.
The report highlighted serious inefficiencies in the county’s three main water companies—Wote Water, Makindu-Kibwezi Water, and Mbooni Water including excessive non-revenue water, outdated tariffs, mounting debts, and questionable financial practices.
Committee Vice Chair Senator Eddy Oketch raised alarm over the significant non-revenue water loss recorded by Kibwezi-Makindu Water, which stood at 58%, far exceeding the 25% industry threshold.
Meanwhile, Mbooni Water was found to lack a clear debt recovery policy, leaving millions of shillings uncollected.
“This report reveals shocking inefficiencies in Makueni’s water companies. Kibwezi-Makindu Water recorded a non-revenue water loss of 58%, way above the 25% threshold. Meanwhile, Mbooni Water has no clear debt recovery policy, leaving millions uncollected. Governor, how does your administration allow this level of mismanagement?” questioned Committee Vice Chair Senator Eddy Oketch.
Governor Mutula acknowledged the challenges but attributed them to ageing infrastructure and external factors.
“We acknowledge the issues raised, but we must also recognize that our water infrastructure is ageing, leading to high leakages. We have embarked on major rehabilitation projects to reduce these inefficiencies,” the governor explained.
Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi further grilled the county team over unconfirmed customer deposits at Wote Water Company and unexplained variances in financial statements.
“The company’s financial statements do not reconcile with its bank records, leaving over Kshs. 3.6 million in unexplained variances. Why should the residents of Makueni trust a system that cannot account for its own revenue?” senator Osotsi pressed.
Governor Mutula assured the committee that the county had launched a debt recovery framework and applied for tariff adjustments from the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) to ensure financial sustainability.
The committee directed Makueni County to submit a detailed action plan with clear timelines for infrastructure rehabilitation, debt recovery, and governance reforms.
“We expect clear timelines on infrastructure rehabilitation, debt recovery, and governance reforms. The Senate will not allow continued mismanagement of public utilities,” Senator Oketch concluded.
The session underscored the Senate’s commitment to financial accountability, setting a precedent for stricter oversight of county water service providers.