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.

Track 1·Water security & resilienceTrack 2·Sanitation & public healthTrack 3·Governance & water diplomacyTrack 4·Sustainable cities & growth

Day 1 · Monday 24 November

KICC · Leadership, Investment & Utility Performance

08:00–09:00
Registration
09:00–10:00
Plenary · 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
10:00–11:00
Plenary · Main HallTrack 1Bankable & Climate-Resilient UtilitiesCreditworthiness, the US$30bn gap and financing resilience to drought and floods
11:00–11:30
Coffee Break
11:30–13:00
Parallel sessions
- Room A · Blended & Climate FinanceT1
- Room B · Beating Non-Revenue WaterT1
- Room C · Citywide Inclusive Sanitation & FSMT2
13:00–14:30
Lunch Break
14:30–15:30
Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Tariff Reform & Cost RecoveryT3
- Room B · Energy Efficiency & Water-Energy NexusT4
- Room C · Women in Water LeadershipT3
15:30–16:30
Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Carbon & Results-Based FinanceT1
- Room B · Asset Management & BenchmarkingT3
- Room C · Safe Water & Public Health (Cholera, AMR)T2

Day 2 · Tuesday 25 November

KICC · Partnerships, Climate & Inclusive Services

08:00–09:00
Registration
09:00–10:00
Plenary · Main HallTrack 3Water Operators' Partnerships in ActionFrom Bonn to Nairobi: WOPs as Africa's delivery engine
10:00–11:00
Plenary · Main HallTrack 4Advanced Water Technologies for Growing CitiesDigital twins, AI, smart metering and NRW reduction for Africa's fast-growing urban utilities
11:00–11:30
Coffee Break
11:30–13:00
Parallel sessions
- Room A · PPPs & Private CapitalT4
- Room B · Digital Utilities: Metering, SCADA, AIT4
- Room C · Water Reuse & the Circular EconomyT1
13:00–14:30
Lunch Break
14:30–15:30
Workshops & Capacity Building
- Room A · Bankable Project Preparation ClinicT1
- Room B · WOPs Matchmaking & MarketplaceT3
- Room C · Young Water Professionals LabT3
15:30–16:30
Closing 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.

1Utility leaders

2Government & regulators

3Development finance

4Innovators & technology

5UN & global partners

6Women & youth voices

Express interest

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.