ARUSHA-Rwanda’s, Dr. Canisius Kanangire has been selected to head the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), The New Times has learnt.

Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) is a specialised institution of the East African Community (EAC) responsible for coordinating the sustainable development agenda of the Lake Victoria Basin.

According to a senior EAC official, Dr. Kanangire, beat seven other contestants from other EAC partner states for the LVBC job.

Dr Kanangire is currently the Head of Strategic Planning and Management at the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat in Uganda.

"What can be confirmed now from the senior officials’ meeting that sat in Arusha, on Tuesday, is that Dr Kanangire has been considered for that job. He had the best qualifications compared to the rest,” said the official, who attended the senior officials’ meeting.

The EAC Council of the Ministers is scheduled to approve the nomination during the 22nd Ordinary meeting, today.

In an interview, Dr Kanangire yesterday confirmed having been among those interviewed, and preferred to give a comment after his approval.

"We shall talk after the Council of Ministers has made the appointment,” he said by phone from Entebbe, Uganda.

Owora Richard Othieno, the EAC Principal Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Officer, said that there was still a debate on whether the job should go to Rwanda.

"But let us wait for the final decision of the Council of Ministers,” he said.

The  mandate of the LVBC Executive Secretary is a non renewable term of five years.

Meanwhile, the new EAC Secretary General will be sworn in during the 9th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State which is scheduled for 19 April 2011 at the Hotel Kilimanjaro Kempinski in Dar-es-Salaam.

Others to be sworn include; a new Deputy Secretary General and a new Judge of the East African Court of Justice.

Ends