Rwanda will host the Africa Water & Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium from August 17–21, 2026, in Kigali, bringing together more than 1,000 African and global leaders to accelerate reform and investment in water and sanitation across the continent, according to the event organisers.
The Symposium will be hosted by the Government of Rwanda, co-convened by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), and facilitated by IRC Africa. It is designed as a high-level political and institutional platform to move Africa decisively from commitments to delivery.
Held during the African Union Year on Water and sanitation (2026), the Symposium will focus on strengthening leadership, governance, regulation, professional capacity, and strategic public finance — the foundations of resilient and investment-ready systems.
Announcing the event, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Dr Jimmy Gasore, said:
"Africa’s water challenge is no longer about identifying solutions, it is about leadership and institutional credibility. Rwanda is honoured to host a platform that advances reforms needed to make public services work and positions water and sanitation as strategic investments for economic transformation and social equity.”
The AMCOW President and Minister of Water and Sanitation of the Republic of Senegal, Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Dieye stated:
"As co-organiser, AMCOW welcomes Kigali 2026 as a platform to bring together African political, technical and financial leaders around a clear goal: to ensure water security and safe sanitation on a large scale. This symposium strengthens continental coordination and Africa's collective responsibility to transform Agenda 2063 into measurable progress for our citizens.”
The Symposium will be structured around four transformation dialogues: leadership; regulation and accountability; professionalisation of service providers; and strategic public finance. These will be translated into high-level political dialogues, peer learning exchanges, and practical systems of reform and investment discussions, linking country reform agendas with financing opportunities.
Rwanda’s selection as host reflects its recognised progress in institutional reform, accountability, and public-sector performance, offering a strong setting for a continental agenda centred on delivery, the organisers observed.
They stated that outcomes from Kigali will inform Africa’s common position at the United Nations Water Conference in December 2026, supporting progress toward SDG 6 and the Africa Water Vision 2063.
About the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA)
The Ministry of Infrastructure leads policy and strategic oversight of Rwanda’s water and sanitation, energy, transport, housing and urban development sectors. Through Vision 2050 and NST2, MININFRA works to expand access to services, strengthen climate resilience, and drive sustainable growth.
About AMCOW
AMCOW (the African Ministers’ Council on Water) is a specialised committee of the African Union established in 2002 to provide political leadership and coordinate policy for water and sanitation across African Union member states.
With the Secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria, AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems.
In 2026, AMCOW, jointly with African Union Commission (AUC), Africa Development Bank (AfDB), AUDA-NEPAD, and the United National Commission for Africa (UNECA), as mandated institutions, are commemorating "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063" as the AU Theme for the Year 2026.