Nairobi County Assembly has passed a motion that seeks to to force city hotels and restaurants to provide free drinking water to customers.
The motion was brought in the house by Roysambu MCA Sospeter Mumbi who argued that every person has a right to access clean and safe drinking water in adequate quantities.
“While I appreciate bottled water comes with some advantages to the country and the county it terms of revenue generation,” Mumbi told the House
“But then it has gotten to a point where the hotels are denying Nairobians their right to water and a house this is something that should not be allowed,” he added.
He explained that there is a need for the assembly to request the executive to ensure that hotels access free water.
“What we are saying is that these hotels provide tap water and those who are comfortable with bottled water, they have that way,” Mumbi.
The MCA also urged the executive to renovate water points in the city centre which were supposed to serve city residents for free during the reign of Gakuo.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai on his part said some hotels insist on selling to customers and also selling water that ought to be free.
“If it must be sold it means sometimes people can choke and die in hotels because they are not able to buy drinking water,” Alai noted.
Karura MCA for instance opposed the motions insisting that it was the role of the county to provide free water and not the hotels.
