• Hon. Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary, Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development, Republic of Kenya.
• Hon. Judith Nabakooba, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Republic of Uganda, Chairperson of the AU Specialized Technical Committee on Public Service, Local Governments, Urban Development and Decentralization (STC No8).
• Hon Sakaja, Governor, Nairobi City County, Kenya

• Mr. Anar Guliyev, Chairperson, State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan & National Coordinator for the WUF 13.
• Representatives from UN Habitat  ,   UNECA  and AfDB
• Distinguished Mayors and Leaders of Local and Regional Governments,
• Representatives of International Development Partners and the Private Sector,
• Members of Academia and Civil Society,
• Members of the Press,
• Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour and privilege to join you today and to welcome you to the Second Africa Urban Forum here in Nairobi, dedicated to reflecting on the delivery of Adequate Housing for All as the continent advances socio-economic and environmental transformation towards the Realisation of Agenda 2063.

Allow me to begin by congratulating the Government of Republic of Kenya  for agreeing to host the forum and for providing the resources and infrastructure necessary for the successful organization of this major event.

I  would  also like  to commend the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee No. 8 on Public Service, Local Government, Urban Development, and Decentralization for its leadership and commitment to ensuring that the African Urban Forum is established as a platform enabling all governments, key stakeholders, and the international community to place urban development issues at the center of policy deliberations. 

In addition, I would like to thank UN-Habitat, the ECA, and all the technical and financial partners whose support contributed to the success of this forum.

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Participants

Africa’s urban transition is no longer a future scenario, it is a political reality that requires leadership, vision, and decisive action. Urbanization is shaping governance; Urbanization is shaping economic transformation; Urbanization is shaping social stability; and increasingly, urbanization is shaping peace and security across our continent.

The theme of this Forum, “Adequate Housing for All: Advancing Socio-economic and Environmental Transformation towards the Realisation of Agenda 2063,” is fundamentally a political and governance agenda. To the African Union Commission, Housing is not only about shelter, but also about dignity, equity, stability, and about peace. Where people are excluded from housing and basic services, frustration grows; Where inequalities widen in cities, tensions emerge, and where Governance fails to respond to urban realities, instability follows. This is why urban development must be seen as part of Africa’s peace and security architecture.

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Participants

The Political Affairs, Peace and Security mandate of the African Union Commission recognizes that peace is built not only through diplomacy and security mechanisms, but also through inclusive governance, equitable development, and responsive institutions. Africa’s cities are increasingly becoming the frontline of governance and conflict prevention. Urban infrastructure, land management, housing systems, and service delivery directly influence political stability and citizen trust in the state.

 The sub-themes of this Forum are strategically important for political leadership.

• Urban infrastructure and urban development are not only development investments; they are instruments of state legitimacy and stability.
• Resilient and sustainable cities reduce vulnerability and prevent humanitarian and security crises.
• Smart cities and technology strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability.
• Innovative financing empowers local governments and strengthens decentralization.
• Transformation of informal settlements promotes inclusion and social cohesion.
• Urban displacement and migration require coordinated governance to prevent conflict and instability.

When combined, these priorities define a new political agenda for Africa’s urban future.

Decentralisation as a cornerstone to advance Africa’s Transformation

 Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Participants

Decentralization and strong Local Governance systems are essential to managing Africa’s urban transformation. Local governments are the closest institutions to citizens. They are responsible for service delivery, they manage Urban Growth, respond to Crises, and build trust between citizens and the state. When local governments are weak, urban governance becomes fragile, and when urban governance is fragile, peace and stability are at risk. Therefore, strengthening decentralization, Local Governance, and Institutional capacity must remain a continental priority. Peace and stability in Africa will increasingly depend on well-governed, inclusive, and resilient cities.

Ladies and Gentlemen  ,

Urban displacement and migration present a growing political and security challenge. Conflict, climate change, and economic pressures are driving populations into cities, placing enormous pressure on infrastructure, housing, and services. Cities are becoming spaces where humanitarian, governance, and security challenges intersect, and if not well managed, urban displacement can lead to social tensions, inequality, and instability. If well managed, cities can become spaces of integration, opportunity, and peace.

This requires coordinated political leadership, strong governance systems, and inclusive urban policies.

Advocating for Urbanisation as a theme for the upcoming AU Heads of Summits

Honourable Ministers,

The linkage between urbanization and the African Union Theme of the Year 2026 on Water and Sanitation is both strategic and timely.

The African Union Theme of the Year 2026 on Water and Sanitation has demonstrated strong continental commitment to human security, sustainable development, and inclusive growth. It has rightly placed access to water and sanitation at the center of Africa’s development, governance, and peace agenda.

However, water and sanitation cannot be effectively addressed without addressing urbanisation. Cities are where water systems are stressed, where sanitation infrastructure is required, where housing and services must be delivered, and where governance must respond to growing populations and increasing demand for resources. In this regard, urbanisation provides a natural and strategic continuum to the 2026 theme.

It is therefore important to reflect on the growing need to elevate urbanisation and sustainable cities within Africa’s continental policy and political agenda, particularly within the framework of the mandate of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Public Service, Local Government, Urban Development and Decentralisation (STC 8). Strengthening attention to urbanisation at the level of Heads of State and Government would reinforce ongoing efforts on water and sanitation, governance, decentralisation, infrastructure, and peacebuilding, while ensuring stronger policy coherence and coordinated implementation of Agenda 2063.

Such continuity would further consolidate the link between urban governance, service delivery, water and sanitation, peace and security, and conflict prevention, recognizing that well-governed and inclusive cities are essential for stability, resilience, and sustainable development across the continent.

Political Will & Commitment to shape Africa’s Urban Future

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Participants

The Africa Urban Forum is more than just a dialogue; it provides an important political platform to shape Africa’s urban future and to strengthen continental commitments. The expected Nairobi Declaration should therefore reflect strong political will and clear commitments from the African leaders. It should reaffirm:

• political leadership on adequate housing for all
• strengthened Decentralization and Local Governance systems
• Inclusive and accountable urban governance
• Investment in Resilient and Sustainable Urban Infrastructure
• Innovative financing for Cities and Housing
• Transformation of informal settlements and inclusion of vulnerable communities
• integrated approaches linking urbanization, water, sanitation, and climate resilience
• and a strong commitment to peaceful and secure urban environments

This Declaration should serve as a continental political commitment to building cities that promote stability, prosperity, and human dignity.

Key Messages

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Participants

• Africa’s urban future will define Africa’s political and economic future.
• Cities will determine whether we achieve Agenda 2063.
• Cities will determine whether we reduce inequality.
• Cities will determine whether we maintain peace and stability.
• Cities will determine whether our young population finds opportunity or frustration.

Therefore, Political Leadership at the highest level is essential. Africa must move from managing urbanization to leading urban transformation. We must move from reacting to urban challenges to shaping urban futures.

We must move from fragmented urban policies to integrated governance and peace-centered urban development.

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The African Union Commission remains committed to working with Member States, Local & Regional Governments, and partners to ensure that Africa’s cities become engines of Peace, Resilience, and Prosperity. Let us use this Forum to strengthen political commitment, deepen cooperation, and accelerate action.

Let us build African cities that are inclusive, resilient, and peaceful.

Let us build cities that reflect the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the Africa We Want.

I   thank you and wish you fruitful deliberations.