EFFICIENCY OF WATER PROVIDING FIRMS IN KENYA: A CASE OF NAIROBI WATER AND SEWERAGE COMPANY LIMITED

Abstract

Water distribution is often a monopoly of governments or city and municipal authorities. There is no competition with other firms and therefore running such utilities on strictly commercial terms may not apply. This study was conducted between 2010 and 2014 with two objectives: one was to find out the challenges that were facing Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NWSC) in providing constant flow of water; and two, to determine how these challenges have been addressed commercially by NWSC. Research methodology adopted was a case study and the data collected was of qualitative in nature, and therefore data was processed through content analysis. The conclusions of the study indicated that water consumers behave in the same manner as any other consumers of other goods or services: they respond positively to good quality of services and timely and constant supply of goods, services or provision of utilities. Water consumers in Nairobi were no exception: they needed good quality clean drinkable water, fair price, good and courteous treatment by debt collectors, and reliable and constant flow of water. It is posited that the principles of marketing and marketing strategies are applicable even in utility companies because the behaviour of consumers is the same in all aspects.