The East African Community (EAC) has a number of semi-autonomous institutions that help it implement its mandate some of which became operational since 2015 including Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) which has its head offices in Kisumu, Kenya.
LVBC focuses its efforts on coordinating various interventions on the Lake and its basin and also mobilising resources to ensure EAC community is transformed through focusing on projects that benefit the livelihoods of EAC population.
Under the LVBC institution the EAC secretariat under supervised by Secretary General Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko has crafted 15 projects to cater for 5 partner states.
And while launching a tour on LVBC projects mid last month in Kisumu, Kenya, Mfumukeko told TrumpetNews that his offices has been lobbying funds amounting to $500 million from donors to be able to facilitate this LVBC.
LVBC is supervised by the Executive Secretary Dr. Said Matano who also appreciated EAC’s concerted efforts in transforming lives of East African citizens.
Mr, Matano highlighted that one scheme of LVBC will at least benefit 7 million citizens from each partner state; with 2.5 benefiting directly and while 4.5 indirectly.
In all these ventures, donors raise 90% of the funds while EAC contributes 10%.
The Secretariat in conjunction with LVBC team at Kisumu, uses these funds to hold a research/scientific conference, study tours with an objective to form programming, policy development and partnerships within the Lake Victoria basin.
“LVBC further collaborate with several stakeholders at both national, regional and international levels, including universities and research institutions, public and private, undertaking programs, projects, studies and other initiatives geared towards sustainable development of the Lake Victoria Basin.
This has resulted into wealth of information being held by institutions and individuals in and out of the Lake Victoria Basin,” said Mfumukeko.
Among LVBC projects is Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project located at Nyamira in Kisii County Kenya.
This is aimed at increasing access to clean water to the locality where the water plant produces over three million litres per day and the locals can access at a cheaper price.
On this specific project, Ambassador Mfumukeko told TrumpetNews that the secretariat constructed similar water plants in three of the member states; Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania with the aim of reducing population on L.Victoria which would end up polluting it.
The project was facilitated with $25 million, to be able to treat lake water, purified and supplied to the residents within Nyamira and Kisii town.
An example of similar project, Mfumukeko said is in Rwashameire, Ntungamo District and Kayabwe in Masaka, Uganda.
He added that the selection of these towns largely depended on their impact on L. Victoria.
This thus ratifies LVBC as a centre of regional integration, designed as an economic basin, concentrating much on water, fisheries, transport, health and transport.
LVBC was established through a protocol signed by member states in 2013 sharing a vision of strategic plan.
LVBC has high levels of expertise including engineers, environmentalists, scientists, and many more.
Mfumukeko’s First Phase of Tour to EAC Institutions
Amb. LiberatMfumukeko, concluded the first phase of visits to the EAC Institutions in Kenya and Uganda on May 21, 2018.
The visits, which started on the 16th May, 2018, covered the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) located in Kisumu, Kenya; the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) in Jinja, Uganda; the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) in Kampala; and the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) in Entebbe, Uganda on 19th May, 2018.
The purpose of the visits is for the Secretary General to familiarize himself with the institutions and to understand their contribution to the integration process and the challenges they face in the discharge of their mandates.
The second phase of the visit will be conducted in June 2018, and will see Amb. Mfumukeko visit the East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC) based in Zanzibar; the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) in Kigali, Rwanda; and the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) which is based in Bujumbura, Burundi.
At the LVBC headquarters in Kisumu, Amb. LiberatMfumukeko met the Executive Secretary, Dr. Ali Said Matano and his staff and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution.
During his visits to Kisumu, the Secretary General paid a courtesy call to the Governor of Kisumu County, H.E. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, who expressed the need for LVBC to work together with the County Government of Kisumu and urged LVBC to create more awareness on their activities to the residents of Kisumu County.
The Secretary General toured the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN) 11 project site infrastructures located in Keroka, in Nyamira County.
At the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) in Jinja, Uganda, the Secretary General met the Executive Secretary, Godfrey Monor and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution. Amb. Mfumukeko later on toured the Source of the Nile (SON) Fish Factory and Farm.
Established in 2005, SON has breeding and juvenile ponds at Bugungu Farm near Jinja, small fish cages in Lake Victoria in addition to manufacturing its own feed on site. The factory harvests 10,000 tonnes of tilapia per annum and has a strong emphasis on health and safety, sustainability and community projects.
At IUCEA, the Secretary General met the Executive Secretary, Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution.IUCEA intends to construct the second phase of its headquarters to accommodate all staff, Archives and Conference Halls.
Amb. Mfumukeko concluded his tour by visiting the CASSOA headquarters. The Ag. Executive Director, Mr Emile NguzaArao, briefed the Secretary General on the Institution and informed him that CASSOA was voted by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the second best safety and security agency in the world out of 17 organizations.
During the visits, the Secretary General emphasized to all institutions the need to focus on implementing their priorities as set out in the EAC’s 5th Development Strategy. He urged all the Heads of Instructions to implement reforms geared at cutting costs and ensuring frugal use and accountability of EAC resources, and endeavour to build synergy with other EAC Organs and Institutions.