Otafiire urges regional leaders to address L.Victoria crisis in Kisumu
Water and environment minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has warned East African Community (EAC) Partner States about the ecological pressures facing the shared basin and demanded immediate, results-oriented regional cooperation.
Water and environment minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire. (File)
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Water and environment minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has warned East African Community (EAC) Partner States about the ecological pressures facing the shared basin and demanded immediate, results-oriented regional cooperation.
This was during a meeting of sector ministers and high-ranking delegations from the EAC states that gathered in the lakeside city of Kisumu, Kenya, for the 24th Ordinary Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers for the Lake Victoria Basin that took place from October 19 - 23.
Otafiire drew attention to alarming findings from the 2025 State of the Basin Report, highlighting that roughly 42.6% of the basin's catchment is at high risk of erosion, while wetlands have shrunk by about 33% between the 1980s and the 2020s.
Despite the basin generating over $1.1b annually from an estimated 1.14 million tonnes of fisheries, these economic lifelines remain deeply imperiled by climate change and degradation.
The Minister further cautioned delegates against looming weather extremes, pointing to regional climate forecasts predicting an increased likelihood of El Niño conditions and above-normal rainfall.
"We experienced similar impacts during the floods of 2020, when approximately 640 square kilometres of Uganda's shoreline were flooded and displaced about 29,000 people," noted Otafiire.
Emphasising the necessity of joint readiness, he added: "These risks call for strengthened regional cooperation in hydrometeorological monitoring, flood forecasting, early warning and coordinated management of lake levels and outflows, taking into consideration the safety of downstream communities and infrastructure. I, therefore, urge the Commission and Partner States to strengthen information sharing and coordinated responses to the anticipated climate risks."
The ministerial session is tasked with reviewing critical regional instruments, notably the fifth Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Strategic Plan (2026/27–2030/31)—backed by an estimated implementation budget of $135m—alongside the Lake Victoria Basin Regional Development Plan and a proposed World Bank-supported multi-sectoral multiphase programme.
Otafiire cautioned against complacency, underlining that bureaucratic strategy approvals must translate directly into ground-level impact.
"The true measure of our success will not be the number of strategies we approve, but the extent to which they translate into concrete investments and tangible benefits for our people," declared Otafiire.
He further urged member states to integrate regional priorities into national development plans and budgets and strengthen collective resource mobilisation.
The minister turned to internal institutional hurdles, drawing attention to persistent staffing shortages and governance gaps within the LVBC that threaten project execution.
He stressed that effective transboundary management requires robust institutional backing and rigorous follow-through on council decisions.
"The persistent staffing gaps, coupled with the potential separation of additional experienced personnel, pose a serious risk to the Commission's ability to discharge its mandate effectively," warned Otafiire.
The directives and positions outlined by Otafiire carry profound strategic implications for all EAC Partner States sharing the Lake Victoria basin.