Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku was on January 29 put on the spot by the Senate over the financial and operational collapse of Kajiado County’s water service providers, after auditors warned that the utilities are technically insolvent and surviving on illegal financial practices and county bailouts.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee at Bunge Tower, Governor Lenku was questioned over the state of Nolturesh Loitokitok Water and Sewerage Company, Oloolaiser Water and Sewerage Company and Olkejuado Water and Sewerage Company, all of which were flagged in the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The report raised material uncertainty about the ability of the three firms to continue operating, citing negative working capital, poor revenue collection and persistent reliance on financial support from the county government. Committee chairperson Godfrey Osotsi told the governor that the utilities were effectively insolvent, warning that without constant intervention, water services in parts of Kajiado would collapse.
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Audit findings showed that Nolturesh Loitokitok had a negative working capital of Ksh. 244.7 million, while Oloolaiser and Olkejuado recorded deficits of Ksh. 258.7 million and Ksh. 82.9 million respectively. Senators said the figures pointed to deep seated governance and management failures.
The committee was further alarmed by high levels of Non Revenue Water (NRW), with Nolturesh Loitokitok losing about 80 percent of the water it produces, meaning only a fifth reaches paying customers. Oloolaiser recorded losses of 49 percent. At Nolturesh alone, more than 2.4 million cubic meters of water went unbilled, translating into millions of shillings in lost revenue.
Kajiado Senator Seki Ole Kanar said residents were being charged for water they never receive, while employees continue to suffer due to years of unremitted statutory deductions. The utilities were cited for failing to remit pensions, gratuity, Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) deductions and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes, exposing them to penalties and legal action.
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Senators also condemned the diversion of customer deposits to fund routine operations, describing it as a breach of public trust. Oloolaiser used Ksh. 21 million from restricted customer funds, while Nolturesh and Olkejuado withdrew Ksh. 2.6 million and Ksh. 6.7 million respectively.
Responding to the concerns, Governor Lenku blamed ageing infrastructure and high electricity costs, which he said had led to frequent power disconnections and reduced water supply. He told the committee that the county plans to solarize boreholes as part of measures to stabilize operations and cut costs.
By Benedict Aoya
