KISUMU, Kenya, Jan 31 — Kenya is rooting for enhanced consultation and cooperation among East African Community (EAC) states to drive transboundary projects forward.
Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change in Kenya, Eng. Festus Ng’eno, highlighted that delays in completing such projects are leading to donor fatigue.
Ng’eno cited the prolonged delay in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the transboundary management of the Mount Elgon Ecosystem between Uganda and Kenya as a prime example.
“It is unjustifiable to postpone decisions for years on issues that can be resolved bilaterally in good faith,” he stated.
The PS emphasized that such delays, where avoidable, hinder progress and create unnecessary bottlenecks.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Pacifica Achieng, Director of Climate Change at the State Department of Environment in Kisumu on Friday, the PS called on the EAC to expedite pending decisions.
“The development of programs and projects, along with their concepts, should integrate partner inputs from the outset as part of the necessary participation required to reduce delays and ensure the successful adoption of projects,” said the PS.
Achieng delivered the PS’s remarks during the 11th Joint Regional Policy Steering Committee (JRPSC) meeting of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) projects and programs in Kisumu.
The meeting brought together permanent and principal secretaries, as well as undersecretaries, from the five EAC partner states: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
Project review
Participants reviewed regional programs and projects under implementation by LVBC in the region.
Key initiatives discussed included the Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management project, the multinational Lake Victoria Maritime Communication and Transport project, and the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience Project, among others.
Julius Korir, Kenyan Principal Secretary for the State Department of Water and Sanitation, urged the LVBC to collaborate closely with EAC partner states to mobilize additional resources for scaling up ongoing projects.
Korir noted that the Lake Victoria Basin is under threat from the impacts of climate change, underscoring the need to design and implement innovative, impact-driven projects to address these challenges and preserve the basin for future generations.
“The Secretariat must ensure the basin is safeguarded. We want to hand it over to the next generation intact,” he said.
The PS emphasized that adopting better approaches will ensure the basin continues to serve as a source of livelihood and economic growth for the region.
“I commend the LVBC for consistently engaging partner states to advance our shared interests within the basin,” he added.
LVBC Executive Secretary Dr. Masinde Bwire informed the steering committee that the basin continues to attract donor funding for its development.
“The Commission has also secured committed funding from the Government of Germany to support proposed programs aimed at unlocking the potential of the basin in Burundi and Rwanda,” he said.
