AfWA holds 18th Congress in Nairobi

By Edmund Smith-Asante, NAIROBI

The Kenyatta International Convention Centre is venue for the congress 

The African Water Association (AfWA), today officially begins its 18^th International Congress and Exhibition in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on the theme, “Sustainable Access to Water and Sanitation in Africa.”

After the official opening of the congress and inauguration of the exhibition, there will be a symposium on the theme led by representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB), African Water Facility and the European Union (EU) among other speakers.

The congress, however, yesterday took off with a forum on “Strengthening women’s role in water and sanitation utilities in Africa”, which was addressed by Dr Rose Kaggwa of the National Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) of Uganda and Ms Diane D’arras of the International Water Assocciation (IWA), France, among other speakers.

This year’s event is being organised in collaboration with the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC), which won the bid to host the biennial event that has attracted over 1,500 international and national delegates.

Uhuru Kenyatta addresses congress

Key speakers at the congress include Kenyan President, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, his Vice, Mr William S. Ruto, and the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Water & Irrigation, Kenya, Mr Eugene L. Wamalwa and the Governor of the Nairobi City County, Dr. Evans Kidero.

The AfWA Congress and Exhibition is the premier water and sanitation event for developing countries and aims to build bridges between water experts in different regions, organisations and who have different approaches to water and sanitation service delivery.

The ultimate goal of AfWA’s International Water Congress series is to identify, showcase and debate practical experiences and examples of service provision in developing countries that ‘work’, and critically, ‘work at large scale’.

An eight-member delegation from Ghana, led by the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Mr Frederick Christian Lokko, is attending the four-day event from February 22 to February 25.

About AfWA

The African Water Association (AfWA) is a self-governing non-profit organisation with a membership of more than 100 member utilities in over 40 countries in Africa, which aims to cover all facets of the water cycle.

The mission of AfWA, which has its head office in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, is to serve as a continental network for water professionals and to advance standards and best practices in sustainable water and sanitation management.

Formerly known as the Union of African Water Suppliers (UAWS), AfWA, has since its creation in February 1980, aimed at developing the professional capacities of its members in order to achieve its vision regarding the access to drinking water for all Africans.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

QUICK READ

Africa’s premier gathering of experts in the water and sanitation sector, the African Water Association (AfWA) 18^th Congress and Exhibition, takes off today, February 22, in Nairobi, Kenya on the theme, “Sustainable Access to Water and Sanitation in Africa”.