Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has left for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent Kenya at the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council scheduled for February 11–12, 2026. The meeting precedes the 39th AU Heads of State and Government Summit set for February 14–15.
This year’s summit is themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” reflecting growing concerns over the continent’s water security.
Experts have increasingly warned that intensifying competition over water resources—driven by climate change, population growth, and uneven management—could trigger widespread tensions across Africa by mid-century.
The World Bank has projected that climate-related water challenges, including droughts, floods and pollution, may shrink GDP growth by as much as six percent in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The issue is not new. In 2001, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan cautioned that competition over fresh water could one day eclipse oil as the world’s most fiercely contested resource.
Against this backdrop, Kenya is positioning itself as a key advocate for cooperative solutions to water scarcity and climate resilience.
President William Ruto currently holds several influential continental roles, including African Union Champion for Institutional Reform, Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), and Chair of the East African Community (EAC).
These positions place Kenya at the heart of ongoing policy discussions on sustainable development and resource management.
Mudavadi is expected to hold bilateral talks with various African leaders during the Executive Council session to push Kenya’s agenda on regional collaboration, sustainable resource sharing, and conflict prevention.
Water-related tensions remain visible across the continent. Along the Nile Basin, Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has long strained relations with downstream nations, particularly Egypt, which depends heavily on the river.
In West Africa, dam developments along the Niger River have sparked concerns among downstream communities, while the shrinking Lake Chad Basin has led to disputes over fishing rights and emerging territory.
At the local level, water scarcity has intensified clashes between pastoralist and farming communities, particularly in arid regions of the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.
Prolonged droughts have forced herders to migrate in search of water and grazing land, occasionally resulting in violent confrontations.
Urban areas are not spared. In some informal settlements, including parts of Nairobi, limited access to clean water has reportedly led to criminal control of water points, heightening insecurity for vulnerable residents.
In conflict zones such as Sudan, armed groups have allegedly targeted water infrastructure to displace populations, further compounding humanitarian crises.
The upcoming AU deliberations are expected to explore policy frameworks and joint strategies aimed at preventing such disputes, strengthening sanitation systems, and safeguarding water access as a pillar of Africa’s long-term development under Agenda 2063.
Tags
News