Kigali to host forum on L.Victoria Basin

The 10th sectoral council of East African Community (EAC) ministers meeting for Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) is slated to take place in Kigali from 30 April to 5 May, according to the forum organisers.It will be the first such meeting to take place outside Kisumu, Kenya, the seat of the Commission, following the decision of the 9th Meeting of the Sectoral Council to commence the rotation of such meetings in all the five Partner States.“The move to rotate the meetings is to enhance the visibility of the Commission in the communities it serves and allow participants to visit its activities on the ground,” said Charles Martin Jjuuko, Communications and Development Awareness Officer LVBC.Speaking to The Sunday Times yesterday, Stanislas Kamanzi the Minister of Natural Resources said that the meeting will consider operational reports and as well as the LVBC Strategic plan for 2011/2016.“During the course of the forum the ministers will take a field visit to monitor projects implemented under LVBC in Rwanda that include the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase 2 (LVEMP2) and Lake Victoria Water Supply and Sanitation implemented in Nyanza, Nyagatare and Kayonza towns,” he said.Kamanzi added that LVEMP2 will intervene in pollution and watershed management in 12 Districts in Rwanda.The session of Senior Officials will take place from April 30 to May 1, followed by the session of the Coordination Committee (Permanent Secretaries) to be held on May 2 to 3.The Ministerial session will take place on May 4, followed by a Ministerial Study Tour to selected activities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission in Rwanda. The meeting is expected to consider several reports on the status of implementation of decisions of the 9th Sectoral Council of Ministers; and the Annual Report 2010-2011 of the LVBC. The Lake Victoria Basin covers an estimated 194,000 square kilometers. It has a population of about 40 million people; a GDP of $40 billion; and, a wealth of resources of economic importance.LVBC is an institution of the EAC established to coordinate the sustainable development agenda of the Lake Victoria Basin.