Ugandan Government gives titled land to Nile Basin Initiative to build home

“ASARECA and NBI partnership is strategic because a part from Egypt, all the 11 Nile Basin countries, including Eritrea, the observer member, are part of the ASARECA 14 member states. “Our farmers rely on the Nile and its vast resources, including water, fish and transport. You cannot divorce agriculture from the Nile.” ASARECA Interim Executive Director, Dr. Enock Warinda

By Ben Moses Ilakut

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) marked a significant milestone on November 16, 2021 when its Executive Director received the institution’s official land title from Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment, Hon. Sam Sam Cheptoris.

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is an intergovernmental partnership of 10 Nile Basin countries, namely Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, The Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea participates as an observer.

Receiving the land title from the Government of Uganda, NBI Executive Director, Eng. Sylvester Matemu, thanked the Ugandan government for fulfilling its obligations as a host government and lauded the Member States for their continued confidence and trust in each other.

“We will start to develop the land as soon as possible with the little resources at our disposal,” said Eng. Matemu, “This is a major milestone in preparing Uganda to host the Nile River Basin Commission.”

NBI invited ASARECA Interim Executive Director, Dr. Enock Warinda to witness the hand-over ceremony at the NBI Secretariat offices in Entebbe, Uganda. The secretariats of NBI and ASARECA are all located in Entebbe, Uganda, at the immediate shores of Lake Victoria. The Secretariats are both hosted by the Government of Uganda, which have bestowed upon them Diplomatic status.

Dr Warinda said, ASARECA and NBI partnership is strategic because a part from Egypy, all the 11 Nile Basin countries, including Eritrea, the observer member, are part of the ASARECA 14 member states. “Our farmers rely on the Nile and its vast resources, including water, fish and transport,” Dr. Warinda stated. “You cannot divorce agriculture from the Nile.”

ASARECA is engaging the relevant Ugandan Government institutions to formalise process to acquire land for construction of its regional headquarters under a similar arrangement.

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is an all-inclusive basin-wide institution was 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.

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a not-for-profit sub-regional organization of the National Agriculture Research Systems of fourteen countries namely: Burundi, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. ASARECA is mandated to coordinate and convene human, physical, financial and institutional capital to implement Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) initiatives in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA).