By Eddah Waithaka
The Water Resources Authority (WRA) announced an immediate suspension of all water disconnections nationwide on Wednesday, granting Kenyans a holiday reprieve until mid-January amid a crackdown on non-compliance.
WRA Chairman led a press briefing in Nairobi, framing water as a critical but finite economic resource. “You pay for electricity. You pay for fuel. You even pay to see animals in a camp,” he stated. “Why would you want to get water free?”
He announced the enforcement pause, “Since we are entering into festivities, we will suspend our enforcement up to the 15th of January 2026. Then we’ll continue.”
The move follows weeks of heightened enforcement of the Water Act 2016 and the new Water Resources Regulation 2025. The Chairman denied allegations of regional targeting.
“We were in Mombasa. We were in Kisumu. Enforcement was going across the country. This is our country, and everybody needs to get this water fairly.”
WRA CEO Mohamed Shurie detailed a “significant increase” in violations, including illegal water abstraction and failure to obtain permits.
He expressed particular concern over political interference.“It is awkward when a leader now incites the public against a regulation that he himself passed in Parliament,” Shurie said, addressing politicians directly.
He labeled claims that WRA vandalizes equipment as “untrue,” citing a recent incident in Kieni, Nyeri County, where abstractors were allegedly incited to ignore directives.“We don’t vandalize. We disconnect,” Shurie clarified.
“The moment you comply, the WRA team will go back and reconnect.”
Leaders to Bear Responsibility
The CEO issued a stern warning to both private and public entities. For private companies, leadership will face liability and prosecution.
For government institutions, “the Managing Directors will be the ones apprehended.”“You will be seeing a lot of cases in court soon,” Shurie warned, noting that as CEO, he is personally held accountable when the authority is sued.
“Those guys who are heading those organizations who are not compliant, the law will deal with them directly.”
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Permit Amnesty and Path Forward
The authority now calls for a nationwide regularization. Shurie urged all abstractors without a valid permit to visit one of WRA’s 32 offices or use the e-permit system.
Those with expired permits must seek renewal.The disconnection halt, effective December 10, 2025, provides a window for compliance.
“We are giving people time to organize and celebrate happily,” Shurie said, referencing a swift resolution with Nairobi County Governor after a recent disconnection.
Enforcement actions, excluding disconnections, will continue until the January 15 deadline. “After that, we will resume,” the CEO confirmed.
The WRA stresses that equitable allocation through permits is a global best practice essential for a water-scarce nation facing climate change.
“If the upstream people consume the whole amount of water, what will happen downstream?” Shurie asked.
“Regulation has to be there.” All water users must regularize their abstraction by January 15, 2026, to avoid enforcement action.
Read More At : https://africawatchnews.co.ke/
