Tanzania, Kenya to sign MoU on shared waters management

DAR ES SALAAM– Tanzania and Kenya are in the final stages of drafting a memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing partnership in the management of trans-boundary water resources between the two countries.Tanzania’s deputy permanent secretary for water ministry, Bashiri Mrindoko, on Thursday said that the proposed agreement aims to overcome environment destruction of the trans-boundary water resources that include the Lake Chala, Jipe and the Umba River, situated in the northern part of Tanzania. Mrindoko said increased human activities in the area are among sources of environmental destruction to the shared water bodies. The decision of forming these new collaborative efforts arose since 2003 after alarming environmental threat on the lakes and river which are shared ecosystems by Tanzania and the Republic of Kenya. He said the memorandum of understanding will be signed later after forming a management plan which will be introduced by the two partner states.Kenya’s deputy permanent secretary for ministry of water, Eugene Telly Muramire, said the Lake Chala, Jipe and the Umba River ecosystems support the livelihood of many local communities through fishing, water, agriculture and livestock. The three water bodies also play a big role in the wildlife management, particularly at the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya and Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania.