KUWASE-Aligned officials reject calls to force Nairobi water to pay Pension Bill

The officials accused rival union, Water Services Workers Union (WASU), of unfairly targeting the utility firm and allegedly mobilising retirees for protests, despite what they claim is established legal guidance indicating NAWASCO is not liable for the overdue payments.

Speaking on Wednesday, Wycliff Onditi — a Nairobi Water employee and branch secretary of the County Government Workers Union — said the outstanding dues owed to the Local Authorities Pension Trust (Laptrust) have accumulated since 2010, long before the current leadership took office.

“Blaming the acting MD, who has only been in office for two months, for a debt more than ten years old is dishonest,” Onditi stated. “Even during the eight-year tenure of the former MD, the same union officials now protesting never raised the issue. This crisis is being constructed for effect.”

According to officials within the KUWASE camp, a joint committee comprising NAWASCO, Laptrust, KUWASE, and later the county government, had earlier drafted a plan to offset the debt, now estimated at more than Sh4 billion.

One option involved securing a bank loan, and discussions with a local lender had reportedly commenced.

However, the Attorney-General halted the process, advising that NAWASCO, as a county-owned entity, lacks the legal authority and asset base required to acquire such financing.

The AG ruled that the responsibility instead lies with Nairobi County.

The matter has since moved to a national-level mediation table under a Senate-brokered initiative involving Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.

The ongoing negotiations seek to consolidate and offset multiple financial claims between the county and the national government, including land compensation, unpaid rates and other revenue obligations.

Onditi further questioned why some union leaders now fronting demonstrations previously sat on the very committee that agreed NAWASCO held no legal liability for the debt.

Nairobi County Finance Executive Charles Kerich reaffirmed the same position in April 2025, noting that ongoing talks with the National Government aim to merge NAWASCO’s pension arrears into the wider debt settlement framework.

Kerich directed the utility to submit a comprehensive breakdown of all outstanding amounts owed to Laptrust for inclusion in the negotiations.

Moses Murungaru, Nairobi Water branch chair in the County Government Workers Union, echoed the position, terming continued protests against NAWASCO misdirected.

“Demonstrations should be directed where the law places responsibility — at City Hall and the National Treasury,” Murungaru argued. “Nairobi Water has no legal mandate to clear that debt.”

He added that while KUWASE supports efforts to ensure retired employees receive their pensions, the solution must follow lawful channels.

“We stand with pensioners, but clarity on liability is essential. Turning Nairobi Water into a political battleground will not resolve anything,” he said.