By Sandra Blessings
For three days, operations at various critical institutions in Siaya County have been hampered after Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) rejected a payment plan by the county government and SIBO Water Company.
In a letter dated 26th June 2026, signed by Eng. Calvin Jagongo, the County Business Manager said the proposal was not sustainable.
“We acknowledge receipt of your letter, which proposed a structured payment plan by paying Sh14 million immediately, six million by 30th June, six million by 31st August, and the final instalment of six million by 30th September 2026. We however wish to state as follows:” read the letter in parts.
Jagongo said the proposal for the structured payment was not sustainable as it carried the debts into the new financial year.
“The proposal for the structured payment was not sustainable as it carried the debts currently owed in the new financial year 2025-2026 to the new financial year 2026-2027. It is important to note that previous arrangements were acceptable on the goodwill that the total debt will be cleared before June 30th 2026,” he wrote.
Jagongo said they will only restore electricity supply to Siaya County Government and the water company upon payment of Sh14 million before June 30th 2026.
“We therefore advise that we will restore supply to the Siaya County Government and SIBO water installations upon the immediate payment of Sh14 million before 30th June 2026. After this payment, we shall have a meeting to review the structured payment plan,” he wrote.
The irony
Interestingly, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Opiyo Wandayi, under whom KPLC falls, comes from Siaya and is in a different political formation – the broad-based government, which supports President William Ruto’s re-election.
While Governor James Orengo is leading the Linda Mwananchi faction opposed to Dr Oburu Oginga’s Linda Ground faction and is an advocate of “one term.”
Orengo is leading the onslaught on President Ruto’s one-term charge and was on Thursday in Nairobi where he joined the Gen Zs in their anniversary.
While Orengo was leading the peaceful protest, back in Siaya, Wandayi’s boys had turned Siaya into darkness and thirst.
A crisis is looming in critical facilities in Siaya County after Kenya Power and Lighting Company disconnected electricity over a Sh20 million debt owed by the water company.
The affected facilities include water supply, which serves over 400,000 residents, hospitals, schools, and government offices across Siaya County.
The move has severely disrupted operations at several facilities in the county.
KPLC disconnected electricity to key water production plants.
The power cuts, effected over outstanding electricity bills, have shut down treatment works and booster stations operated by the Siaya Bondo Water and Sanitation Company (SIBOWASCO), halting water production in multiple schemes.
Critical services hit
The disconnection has directly affected pumping and treatment operations, crippling water supply to Siaya County Referral Hospital, sub-county hospitals, dozens of primary and secondary schools, and several national and county government offices.
“Water is not just a commodity; it is a public health utility,” said a SIBOWASCO official. “Without power, we cannot treat or pump water. This means no water for theatre operations, no water for sanitation in schools, and no supply for households. The risk of waterborne disease outbreaks rises with every hour of downtime.”
Affected areas include parts of Siaya Town, Bondo, Ugunja, Ukwala, Sega, and Asembo, where taps have run dry since the disconnections began. Health facilities have resorted to emergency reserves, while schools face closure if supply is not restored.
The debt standoff
KPLC maintained that the disconnections were part of a nationwide revenue recovery drive targeting large defaulters. Water utilities across Kenya have historically struggled with high power costs, which account for up to 40% of operational expenditure. Tariffs, non-revenue water, and delayed disbursements from county governments have left many companies unable to keep up with monthly bills.
SIBOWASCO acknowledged the arrears but argued that water services were essential and should be protected under public interest provisions. “We are in constant engagement with KPLC and the County Government of Siaya to find a sustainable payment plan,” the company noted. “Shutting down production punishes the most vulnerable — patients on dialysis, children in schools, and families.”
Broader implications
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) classifies water treatment plants as “essential services”, but there is no standing moratorium on disconnections. Stakeholders in the water sector have repeatedly called for a policy framework that ring-fences power for water utilities or provides subsidised tariffs, citing the direct link between water supply and public health.
County health officials warn that prolonged disruption could reverse gains made in cholera and typhoid control. “Hospitals without running water cannot meet infection prevention standards. This is a crisis,” one official said.
Negotiations were ongoing between SIBOWASCO, KPLC’s Western Kenya office, and the Siaya County Government. SIBOWASCO has deployed water bowsers to hospitals as a stopgap, but says this cannot meet full demand.
Residents were being urged to conserve available water and store safely. The County Government of Siaya has called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Water and the Ministry of Energy to restore supply and agree on a long-term solution.
