Mudavadi jets to Addis for AU meet on water security

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Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi left for Addis Ababa on Tuesday to attend the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union ahead of the 39th Summit of Heads of State.

The executive council meets on February 11-12 before the main summit scheduled for Februa14-15.

This year's summit theme is Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.

"I consider this very timely and much forward-looking. Remember, this second Climate Summit builds on the first African Climate Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2023," said Mudavadi.

The cabinet secretary noted the theme builds on outcomes from the second African Climate Summit held in September 2025 in Addis Ababa.

World Bank experts predict water-related climate impacts including droughts, floods and pollution could reduce GDP growth by as much as 6 per cent across much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East by 2050.

In 2001, then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan predicted fierce competition for fresh water may well become a source of conflict and wars in the future, replacing oil.

Mudavadi will hold bilateral talks with leaders from across the continent on the sidelines of the executive council session.

The talks are expected to position President William Ruto's foreign policy agenda.

Ruto currently serves as AU Champion for Institutional Reform, Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and chair of the East Africa Community.