Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company

Name

Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company

Legal name

Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited

Website

https://nairobiwater.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Connection Fees: One-time connection fees charged for new water and sewer connections. Water connection fee is KSH 2,500 across all categories. Sewer connection fees vary from KSH 2,500 to KSH 15,000 depending on customer category (domestic vs industrial).
2. Water and Sewer Deposits: Refundable deposits required at connection for completed premises. Deposits range from KSH 2,500 for domestic single dwelling units to KSH 100,000 for heavy industries, and KSH 15,000-50,000 for construction water deposits.
3. Monthly Water and Sewerage Tariff Billing: Recurring monthly billing based on meter readings and regulator-set tariff rates. Consumers are billed for actual consumption. Billing cycle is monthly (30 days).
4. Tanker Water Supply Services: Bulk water delivery by tanker to premises upon request, paid through MPESA Pay Bill 444400.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NCWSC is a state-owned water utility that treats and distributes potable water and provides sewerage/wastewater treatment services to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers across Nairobi City County. The company operates water treatment plants, distribution reservoirs, and sewerage infrastructure, supported by digital self-service channels including an online customer portal and USSD mobile service.

Product overview

Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) operates as a water utility providing water supply and waste water treatment services to Nairobi County. The company's product portfolio consists of a unified service offering centered on water and sanitation infrastructure delivery, supported by digital self-service tools including an online customer portal and USSD mobile service (*260#). The core offerings include potable water treatment and distribution, sewerage collection and treatment, and new connection applications. These digital services enable customer account management, bill payments through multiple channels (M-PESA, Airtel Money, banking partners), and application tracking for new service connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCWSC Online Portal Customer self-service portal enabling account management, new water/sewer connection applications, application tracking, and bill payment processing.
• Water Supply Services
• Wastewater Treatment Services
• USSD Mobile Service (*260#)
• Water and Sewer Connection Application Service
• Tanker Water Supply Services

Quantifiable outcome

• New water connection within 14 days
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Water & Irrigation and SanitationcoreOthersParent ministry of the Water & Sanitation Sector. The ministry's vision is to ensure water resources availability and accessibility by all. NCWSC operates under the regulatory framework established by this ministry.
• Nairobi County GovernmentcoreOthersNCWSC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nairobi County Government under Water Act 2016. The company works closely with the County Executive Committee Member, Environment, Energy, Water and Sanitation for mandate management.
• Water Services Regulatory Board (WaSREB)coreOthersNon-commercial State Corporation established March 2003 as part of water sector reforms, mandate enhanced by Water Act 2016. Oversees implementation of policies and strategies relating to provision of water and sewerage services.
• Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished under Ministry of Water and Sanitation under Water Act 2016. Responsible for development, maintenance and management of water and sewerage infrastructure in Nairobi, Kiambu and Muranga Counties covering 5,800.4KM with total population of 8,012,390 people.
• Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund)minorOthersKenyan State Corporation under Ministry of Water & Sanitation and Irrigation established under Water Act 2016. Provides conditional and unconditional grants to Counties and assists in financing development and management of water and sanitation services in marginalized and underserved areas.
• Water Resources Authority (WRA)coreOthersState corporation established under Section 11 of Water Act 2016. Mandated to safeguard the right to clean water by ensuring proper regulation of management and use of water resources to ensure sufficient water for everyone.
• World WaternetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch water utility partnership. Representatives toured NCWSC facilities including water treatment plants, indicating technical cooperation and knowledge sharing in water management.
• National Youth ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCWSC conducts security staff training through National Youth Service Naivasha, as evidenced by passing out parade documentation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company (MWASSCO): County-owned water and sewerage utility serving Mombasa under the same Water Act 2016 framework as NCWSC. Operates the same tariff-billing, connection-fee, and equitable-distribution model in another major Kenyan urban centre, making it the closest direct comparable.
• Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASSCO): County-owned water utility serving Nakuru, operating under the same Kenyan regulatory regime as NCWSC. Comparable in scale and customer-mix diversity (domestic, commercial, industrial), making it a relevant operational peer.
• Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO): Municipal water and sewerage utility serving Kisumu under the Water Act 2016. Like NCWSC, it operates as a county-owned monopoly with multi-channel billing and tariff regulation by WaSREB, providing a strong operational peer for benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• Johannesburg Water: Metro-scale water and sanitation utility serving Johannesburg, South Africa. Comparable as a large metropolitan water utility operating in an African urban context with regulated tariffs and significant infrastructure responsibilities.
• Rand Water: Largest water utility in Southern Africa, supplying bulk potable water across Gauteng and surrounding provinces. Comparable in being a major African water utility with significant infrastructure assets and regulated tariffs, though operating at a broader regional scale.
• City of Cape Town Water and Sanitation: Water and sanitation directorate of the City of Cape Town, operating a large metropolitan water utility. Comparable in scale, customer-mix diversity, and the operational challenges of an African metro water utility — including drought management and demand rationing.

Regional players

• Umgeni Water: South African state-owned water utility serving KwaZulu-Natal province with bulk water treatment and distribution. Comparable as an African utility with regulated tariffs, capital-intensive treatment infrastructure, and a mandate aligned to economic development.
• National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC): Uganda's national water and sewerage utility, serving an even larger population base under a similar East African regulatory and operational model. Comparable in mandate, customer-mix diversity, and emerging-market utility economics, though operating at a national rather than city scale.

Others

• Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA): Kenyan state agency responsible for development, maintenance, and management of water and sewerage infrastructure across Nairobi, Kiambu, and Murang'a. Not a direct competitor, but a key infrastructure-development counterparty whose capex programmes directly shape NCWSC's available capacity.
• Veolia Water Technologies (Africa): Global private-sector water-services operator with operations across Africa. Not a direct utility competitor, but a potential operational partner, technology provider, or comparison benchmark for private-sector efficiency in the same water-and-wastewater service category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NairobiWater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGBkytjYkhiPgDKW8Lup0DA
• Facebookfacebook.com/nairobiwater254
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nairobi-water-company

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company