Programme
Three days, one continental agenda
Two working days at KICC cover plenaries, technical tracks, the exhibition and the Utility Leaders' Dialogue and the Nairobi Water Operators Declaration, followed by a day of site visits and a networking reception. 24–26 November 2026.
Plenary each morning in the main hall, then three parallel rooms (A · B · C) each afternoon. Breaks and lunch are shared.
Day 1 · Monday 24 November
KICC · Leadership, Investment & Utility Performance
- 08:00–09:00Registration
- 09:00–10:00Plenary · Main HallOpening Ceremony & High-Level KeynotesThe Future of African Water Utilities: localizing SDG 6 to 2030
- •Presided over by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Republic of Kenya
- •Official welcome by the Governor of Nairobi City
- •Keynote address by the Cabinet Secretary for Water & Sanitation
- •Continental framing by AMCOW around the Africa Water Vision 2063
- 10:00–11:00Plenary · Main HallBankable & Climate-Resilient UtilitiesCreditworthiness, the US$30bn gap and financing resilience to drought and floods
- 11:00–11:30Coffee Break
- 11:30–13:00Parallel sessions
- Room A · Blended & Climate Finance
- Room B · Beating Non-Revenue Water
- Room C · Citywide Inclusive Sanitation & FSM
- 13:00–14:30Lunch Break
- 14:30–15:30Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Tariff Reform & Cost Recovery
- Room B · Energy Efficiency & Water-Energy Nexus
- Room C · Women in Water Leadership
- 15:30–16:30Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Carbon & Results-Based Finance
- Room B · Asset Management & Benchmarking
- Room C · Safe Water & Public Health (Cholera, AMR)
Day 2 · Tuesday 25 November
KICC · Partnerships, Climate & Inclusive Services
- 08:00–09:00Registration
- 09:00–10:00Plenary · Main HallWater Operators' Partnerships in ActionFrom Bonn to Nairobi: WOPs as Africa's delivery engine
- 10:00–11:00Plenary · Main HallAdvanced Water Technologies for UtilitiesDigital twins, AI, smart metering and NRW reduction
- 11:00–11:30Coffee Break
- 11:30–13:00Parallel sessions
- Room A · PPPs & Private Capital
- Room B · Digital Utilities: Metering, SCADA, AI
- Room C · Water Reuse & the Circular Economy
- 13:00–14:30Lunch Break
- 14:30–15:30Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Bankable Project Preparation Clinic
- Room B · WOPs Matchmaking & Marketplace
- Room C · Young Water Professionals Lab
- 15:30–16:30Closing Plenary · Main Hall
- •Adoption of the Nairobi Water Operators Declaration
- •Launch of the Nairobi Water Operators Commitment
Day 3 · Wednesday 26 November
Site activity & networking
- 09:00–12:00Site visits
- 13:00–16:00Networking reception · The Iconic Plaza Hotel
Speakers
Speaker line-up coming soon
Our programme committee is curating a continental line-up of keynote speakers and panellists. Announcements will appear here in the run-up to the Forum.
The signature outcome
The Nairobi Water Operators Declaration
The Forum's signature outcome is the Nairobi Water Operators Declaration, adopted and signed on the second day at KICC and paired with the Nairobi Water Operators Commitment. It is drafted during the Forum by a working group drawing on session rapporteur outputs, anchored on shared priorities, sustainable financing and accountability.
Paired with the Declaration is a continental roadmap aligned with the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy, focused on universal access to water and on water governance and leadership.