Siaya Goes Smart-meter Way As SIBOWASCO Partners with Go-soft Technologies

According to Go-soft Solutions Manger Christine Tantou, there was a pilot programme in July 2024 where some 65 smart meters were installed.

Photos | Directorate of Public Communication, County Government of Siaya

“The pilot program proved successful and it helped SIBOWASCO to increase water revenue to about 50 percent and that earned us (Go-Soft) another tender in December 2024,” said Tantou.

“We have installed 144 meters and the remaining ones will be installed in February because we don’t want to interfere with the data that is helping SIBOWASCO to collect revenues,” she added.

According to SIBOWASCO managing Director CPA Isaiah Adipo, they have embraced the technology to help cut leakages and water theft.

Previously, 65 smart meters were piloted in Siaya and billing increased by more than 50 percent.

“Our partnership with Go-soft technologies has seen faulty and inaccurate meters replaced with smart meter technology hence preventing high level of non-revenue water loss,” said Adipo.

“Go-soft is offering a technology that traces use, theft and report reading of meters in exchange for a share of the received revenue,” Adipo said adding that in the Phase Two programme they target Bondo and Yala consumers.

Phase II programme has 350 smart meters out of which 140 meters have already been installed in Siaya town and other parts of the County,” said Adipo.

Speaking at his office in Siaya town, Adipo said the new technology will help residents with a dependable water supply.

The meters are valve-enabled, whereby we don’t need to send field officers on the grounds to meter-read or disconnect, as that can be done through an App uploaded on the phone.

The customers can as well read their daily consumption through the App on the phone and for sure it will give customers water bills on daily usage.

“Smart metering targets to implement transparency on billing and less water loss, it also ensures that everybody is able to pay for the amount of water they use,” he said.

He added that the Smart Meters will also enhance revenue collection in a very short time, reduce the technical losses and be able to account for the water extracted.

“We are happy a lot because the Smart Metering infrastructure will be able to capture data on abstraction on all water abstractors and also in the entire county,”

The MD further urged the customers to embrace technology for it enhances management of the resource.

However, mixed reactions have greeted the installation of the smart meters in Siaya.

Mary Omondi  who runs a car wash at Siaya junction wants customers whose taps have the installation of smart meters to be trained on how to read it so as to settle bills they have knowledge of.

“We are really green in terms of the meter-reading and for the past two months, we have been paying as per the water technician’s readings,” Omondi said

“Previously, I was paying between KES 6000 to KES 7000 monthly but the bill has shot to KES 12,000 for reasons unknown to myself.”

She also appealed to the water service provider to act promptly and reconnect customers once late fees are settled.

“At times reconnecting customers to water after settling bills is a headache especially during holidays,” she said, adding that the water should also flow daily.

Renowned businesswoman Jacky Alfrose who runs a hotel in Siaya has lauded the technology saying it is effective for it measures every drop of water that comes out of the tap.

Read more here: https://siaya.go.ke