Electricity

Power comes from KPLC (Kenya Power). Most flats have a prepaid meter. You buy tokens and type the 20-digit code into the meter.

  • To buy tokens: in M-Pesa, pay the Kenya Power prepaid paybill (888880) with your meter number as the account number. The token arrives by SMS within a minute or two. Bank apps and supermarkets sell tokens too.
  • Postpaid meters are billed monthly and paid through Kenya Power’s postpaid paybill (888888) with your account number.
  • Outages happen, usually for a few hours. Many buildings have a generator for common areas and sometimes for flats. Use a surge protector for anything expensive, and keep a torch or rechargeable lamp.

Electric water heaters and cookers eat tokens. If your balance vanishes faster than expected, check the water heater first.

Water

Mains water comes from Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, and in many areas it does not flow every day. How a building copes decides how much this matters to you:

  • Storage tanks on the roof or in the compound fill when the supply runs.
  • Boreholes give many newer blocks their own supply.
  • Water bowsers can be hired to fill a tank during long shortages.

Ask about water before you sign a lease. Do not drink tap water unless it has been boiled or filtered; most people buy bottled water or use a dispenser.

Internet

Fibre is widely available in the main residential areas. Check which providers serve your building before you move in.

  • Fibre: Safaricom Home Fibre, Zuku and Faiba are the most common, with monthly plans from about KES 3,000.
  • Mobile data: bundles on Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom. 4G is good across the city, and 5G is available in parts of it.
  • Satellite: Starlink is licensed in Kenya and useful on the outskirts.

Installation can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks. A mobile hotspot covers the gap.

Cooking gas

Most kitchens cook on LPG. Cylinders come in 6 kg and 13 kg sizes. Once you own a cylinder you swap the empty one for a full one at a petrol station, a supermarket or a gas dealer, and many deliver. Buy from a reputable dealer and check the seal. Illegally refilled cylinders are a real hazard.

Rubbish

Collection is usually arranged by the building or estate with a private collector for a monthly fee, sometimes included in the service charge.

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