The African Union Commission (AUC) and African Ministers Council (AMCOW) have gathered in Nairobi to deliberate on how they could utilize the continent’s water resources and provision of water supplies services to promote socio-economic development and eradicate poverty.
The members who gathered on Monday at a Nairobi hotel said the meeting was also aimed at deliberating on how Member States through the management of the continent’s water resources utilize it address to cooperation and security.
Speaking at the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary for Water Sanitation and Irrigation Zachariah Njeru said water is essential in education, agriculture, transport, energy and tourism, a need that required the Member States ministries to set a vision on how to utilize it in those areas.
“Implementation of Dakar-Senegal of 2022 Water and Sanitation has an appeal to sustainable development and plays a crucial role to achieving the African Union Agenda on sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene which are all necessary for life,” he said.
Njeru said the Executive Council took a decision to appeal through the specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development quarter and Environment to the Assembly of the African Union (AU) to adopt water and sanitation as a theme of the Union by 2026.
“Prior to the last category of AU, the Executive Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers took several decisions related to water and sanitation and a proposal to adopt which ensures sustainable water availability and education system is achieved as the goals of the industry,” he stated.
The CS urged the stakeholders to build on water and sanitation and bring issues at the center of social economic development
Njeru assured that water and sanitation investors were encouraging the kind of debate and business promotion as they invest towards sustainable access of water and sanitation services for all projects.
He said the meeting that has brought together member of states, regional economic community, private sectors and stakeholders of water and sanitation sectors for three days generates investment for sustainable access to water and sanitation for all.
The CS also reiterated that government’s alliance with the public private partners and finance institutions within the water agenda centre provides technical and financial support to African people.
The Principal Secretary, State Department for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir said water is essential for domestic use and sanitation and that’s the reason it brings together a community.
Korir said the Ministry of Water and Sanitation would like to leave an impact on people by demonstrating commitment to water challenges.
“The first World Water Forum edition has provided awareness and distribution of political, sub regional and Atlantic oceans with an aim of 2025 Vision of sustainable water and sanitation to the environment,” he said.
AMCOW Chair Dr. Tahani Sileet said that AMCOW would accelerate action to leadership, gender and capacity building to help it achieve the target which only has less than 2 years to be achieved.
By Sharon Atieno
