LVBC and SWP team at a strategic dialogue, 8th-9th August 2019, Sunshine Hotel Kericho, Republic of Kenya
The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP) team held a strategic dialogue from 8th-9th August 2019 in Sunshine Hotel Kericho, Republic of Kenya.
The Strategic Dialogue reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Joint Water Resources Management Transboundary Mara River Basin, functions of River Basin Organizations, Institutional Assessment and role of LVBC and other stakeholders in the sustainable management of Mara River Basin.
The team led by LVBC Projects Development Officer, Eng. Hilda Luoga and SWP’s Team Leader, Gordon Mumbo prioritized key strategic and programmatic interventions of SWP before its completion in 2020.
Other members included Polycarp Ngoje, Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, Barbara Muchirwa, Principal Internal Auditor, Theoneste Sebihogo, LVBC Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Dr.Willy Mugenzi, Development Awareness Communications Officer, among others.
Opening the Strategic Dialogue, SWP’s Team Leader, Gordon Mumbo presented the functions of River Basin Organizations and he applauded LVBC’s coordination role of State and non-state actors in Mara River Basin. He acknowledged that whereas there are key milestones, there are still conservation and development challenges in Mara River Basin requiring interventions through a coherent and coordinated framework.
He emphasized that strategic dialogue should take stock from the elements in the functions of River Basin Organizations, existing conservation and development challenges and ongoing interventions. SWP Team leader urged participants to propose workable and time-bound interventions.
Eng. Luoga stated that interventions in Mara River Basin fit within the 2003 Sustainable Development Protocol for Lake Victoria Basin specifically as articulated in 14 areas of Cooperation.
She added that, article 9 of the existing MoU on the Joint Water Resources Management Transboundary Mara River Basin defined the roles of LVBC in more specific terms. She however acknowledged other Lake Basins and River Basins within LVBC’s scope of operations and mandate.
Participants in the strategic dialogue explored existing and emerging opportunities that can be leveraged to achieve the objectives of the MoU’s result areas and SWPs overall goal. For instance, participants reviewed the institutional assessment report: identified strengths, gaps, opportunities and way forward on the operationalization of the MoU for the Joint Water Resources Management Trans-boundary Mara River Basin.
The participants-centered strategic dialogue prioritized key interventions moving forward: preparation of five Strategy, continuous clarification of LVBC role in coordination of interventions in Mara River Basin. Other prioritized interventions include stakeholder awareness, outreach and communication and creating Strategic Partners Forum for Mara River Basin. Also, creating Mara Conservation Fund (MCF) emerged as one of innovative solutions for sustainable conservation of Mara ecosystems.
