BUTIAMA, Tanzania – A call has been made for the creation of a joint Kenya-Tanzania board to oversee the sustainable management of the Mara River, a crucial trans-boundary water source shared by the two nations.
Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Mwajuma Waziri, said the time has come for a coordinated and collaborative approach to protecting the Mara River basin.
She proposed the establishment of a trans-boundary management body, drawing membership from both countries and key institutions.
“This board should be jointly managed by Mwalimu Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology and Kenya’s Maasai Mara University, working closely with the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC),” Eng. Waziri said on Sunday during the opening of the 14th Mara Day Scientific Conference in Butiama, Mara Region.
This year’s conference is themed “Protect Mara River: Preserve Life.”
She urged the two universities to draft a joint concept paper outlining strategies to address the river’s environmental threats.
She emphasized that stronger regional coordination could unlock international funding for sustainable water resource management in the basin.
“The conservation of River Mara requires a joint effort and innovative ideas that can drive real change,” she added.
Eng. Waziri also announced that next year’s Mara Day celebrations will be hosted in Kenya and should be jointly organized by the proposed trans-boundary committee.
LVBC Executive Secretary, Dr. Masinde Bwire, said the decision to host the scientific forum in Butiama was deliberate, in honor of Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
“It is deeply symbolic to meet here in Butiama,” said Dr. Bwire. “Mwalimu Nyerere was not only Tanzania’s first President but also a visionary who believed in using education to transform society.”
He noted that since the inception of Mara Day celebrations in 2012, the region has recorded notable progress in protecting the Mara River ecosystem.
The scientific conference, he added, has become a vital platform for sharing new research and solutions by researchers, scientists and experts to the challenges facing the basin.
The celebrations will continue on Monday, with both Kenyan and Tanzanian officials expected to join local residents at Mwenge Grounds in Butiama District, in a show of cross-border unity for river conservation.
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member David Ole Sankok, who also attended the conference, encouraged researchers to further explore the region’s potential in the blue economy.
“East Africa has 38 freshwater lakes, that’s a huge opportunity,” said Sankok. “Let’s use science to add value and improve the lives of our people.”
