The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of South Sudan, Hon. Manawa Peter Gatkuoth who is also the new Chairperson of the Nile Council of Ministers (NILE-COM) is visiting Uganda to appraise himself with activities of the Nile Basin cooperation within the Nile Basin Initiative.
Hon. Manawa Peter Gatkuoth was hosted by the Minister of Water and Environment, Hon. Sam Cheptoris at the Ministry of Water and Environment HeadQuarters in Luzira, Kampala.
Notably, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is an intergovernmental partnership established on 22nd February 1999 to provide a forum for consultation and coordination among the Basin States for the sustainable management and development of the shared Nile Basin water and related resources for win-win benefits of 10 Nile Basin countries, namely; Uganda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan and, Tanzania. Eritrea participates as an observer.
NBI was also established to develop the Nile Basin water resources in a sustainable and equitable way to ensure prosperity, security, and peace for all its peoples as well as ensure efficient water management and the optimal use of the resources.
Evidently, the highest decision and policy-making body of NBI is the Nile Council of Ministers (Nile-COM), comprised of Ministers in charge of Water Affairs in each NBI Member State. The Nile-COM is supported by the Nile Technical Advisory Committee (Nile-TAC), comprised of 20 senior government officials, two from each of the Member States.
The courtesy visit was also attended by the Permanent Secretary-MWE- Mr. Alfred Okot Okidi, the Director Water Resources Management-Dr Florence Grace Adongo, the Executive Director Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat, Entebbe-Engineer Sylvester Anthony Matemu, the Technical Team from the International and Transboundary Water Affairs Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment (Ug) and, The South Sudan Delegation.
Written By: Mathew. K. Atwine (MWE)
