As the 15th Mara Day Celebrations unfold, Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) officials are calling for renewed collective commitment to protect the Mara River ecosystem, citing both progress and pressing challenges.
Arsene Mukubwa, Regional Project Coordinator for the Integrated Water Resources Management, identified water quality deterioration as a critical concern, warning that “the water quality continues to deteriorate because of environmental degradation, improper agricultural practices where agrochemicals end up in the rivers.”
He revealed alarming data that about 250,000 tons of sediment enter the Mara River annually, thus spilling over to Lake Victoria and threatening the ecosystem.
The Project coordinator stressed the need for immediate action, saying conservation of the Mara River cannot be postponed even for a single day for the improvement of water quality in Lake Victoria.
Mukumbwa revealed that the conservation of the Mara River aligns directly with improving Lake Victoria’s water quality, noting that the concerted efforts are being supported by KfW Development Bank and the European Union.
Speaking earlier in the week during the 15th Mara Day celebrations in Bomet County, Coletha Ruhamya, LVBC Deputy Executive Secretary, highlighted the recent development of the fifth strategic plan for the LVBC, supported by GIZ, which captures interventions needed for the Mara ecosystem.
“We have developed the water allocation guidelines, which two countries should embrace and implement together, so that the downstream and upstream have the benefit as we use the Mara River ecosystem,” Ruhamya stated.
Emphasising the significance of the annual commemoration, she said, “We celebrate this Mara Day because of its importance to the Basin, to the people in East Africa, but also particularly to Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania.”
Ruhamya noted that the occasion serves as a platform to take stock of the challenges, achievements and how plans have been laid to address the ever-evolving threats.
She acknowledged that while complete success remains elusive, progress has been made in bringing stakeholders together.
“It’s a process that I can say we haven’t achieved 100%, but at least at a certain level, bring people together, plan together, and collectively implement different interventions.”
