L. Victoria basin commission, experts push for partnerships to unlock waterways

EAC's Deputy Secretary General Andrea Ariik addresses delegates in Baku. He called for partnerships to strengthen the creation of sustainable waterways in East Africa. [Courtesy]

The East African Community (EAC) is pursuing an ambitious plan to create a vibrant sustainable blue economy for countries bordering Lake Victoria.

This comes as experts urged development partners to collaborate with the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and partner states to improve the lake’s infrastructure and inland ports.

According to experts, the mega infrastructural developments that have been implemented in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have already started bearing fruit in enhancing maritime trade.

This came to the fore as stakeholders met at a side event during the COP 29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan to explore ways to promote sustainable development of inland waterway transport in East Africa.

In a session hosted by the EAC Secretariat and LVBC, the principal secretary for EAC Abdi Dubat, a panellist said Kenya is committed to improving the lake infrastructure.

He stressed the need for collaborations with development partners to help unlock the basin’s potential.

According to Andrea Ariik, EAC’s deputy secretary general (Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political sectors), upgrading the transport infrastructure on Lake Victoria could potentially generate annual trade worth USD 60 billion and greatly enhance the tourism sector.

In his speech, Ariik said several efforts have been made to improve safety and trade on the lake.

“The construction and modernization of dry-docking facilities at Mwanza and Kisumu ports, along with the ongoing establishment of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres in Mwanza, Entebbe, and Kisumu are also crucial for enhancing safety and trade on Lake Victoria,” he said.

In the region, the countries with the help of partners, have managed to renovate key facilities to help with improving navigation in the lake.

This comes as the demand for maritime trade continues to grow in the region amid calls for the establishment of sustainable use of the lake’s resources.

In Kisumu, the renovation of the port and the construction of a new ship-MV Uhuru II as well as helped improve transport systems.

Similarly, Uganda has also renovated Port Bell while Tanzania has improved its docking facilities in Mwanza.

“The construction of the new Bukasa port in Uganda is poised to establish a reliable, effective, and sustainable multi-modal transport system along the Central and Northern Corridor,” he said.

In his speech, Ariik said the region has managed to reduce the overreliance on road transport that is not environmentally friendly through the introduction of new cargo vessels to transport fuel.

“These tankers have effectively removed around 300 fuel trucks from the roads, thereby minimizing pollution,” he said.

As part of the efforts to improve transport systems in the region, Ariik pitched Akagera and Nile River as two promising transport systems that can help unlock the economy of the region.

“Improving the navigability of the Akagera River would greatly benefit Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which are landlocked and rely heavily on dependable transport routes to access seaports,” he said.

The experts opine that addressing challenges such as the lack of navigational aids, and the need for improved national and regional regulatory frameworks will improve sustainable use of the region’s waterways.