BOMET, Kenya, Sept 15 – The Government has warned of above-normal rainfall as it steps up monitoring of the Mara River to prepare communities for possible flooding.
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa said the government was using hydrometric and gauging stations to monitor river flows and provide early warnings to communities.
“We are expecting rains that will be higher than normal,” Mugaa said during the 15th Mara Day celebrations in Bomet.
He said the monitoring stations would provide real-time information on rising water levels and help authorities advise communities in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground.
WWF-Kenya Manager for the Kenya Rift Lakes Region Kevin Gichangi said the river’s importance to communities and wildlife made joint management by Kenya and Tanzania necessary.
“The Mara River is one of the most important rivers in this region. It sustains communities, wildlife and livelihoods and is the only permanent source of water supporting the greater Mara ecosystem,” Gichangi said.
He said cooperation between the two countries was already helping put Integrated Water Resources Management into practice, including through community-based institutions.
East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Beatrice Askul Moe said the river was facing pressure from declining water quality, unsustainable land use, degradation of upstream watersheds and growing demand for water.
“The Mara River does not recognise national borders, and neither can our commitment to protecting it,” Moe said.
She called for Kenya and Tanzania to strengthen cooperation on catchment protection, restoration of degraded land, climate resilience and responsible water use.
Mugaa said the Mara supports livestock, agriculture, tourism and wildlife in Kenya before flowing into Tanzania, where it supports the Serengeti ecosystem and communities along the river.
“What happens upstream affects those who live downstream. We cannot manage the Mara River as Kenya alone, and Tanzania cannot manage it alone,” he said.
