Programme
Three days, one continental agenda
Two working days at KICC cover plenaries, technical tracks, the exhibition and a Utility Leaders' Dialogue and Communiqué, 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
- 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 Utility Leaders' Communiqué
The Forum's signature outcome is a utility-led communiqué, shaped by the Utility Leaders' Dialogue and adopted on the second day at KICC, anchored on shared priorities, sustainable financing and accountability.
Paired with the communiqué 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.