Ministry of Water and Irrigation

The Nile Basin States have today 14th of May 2010 opened the Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework for signature for a period of one year until 13^thMay 2011. The event took place at Lake Victoria Hotel - Entebbe, under the auspices of the Government of Uganda.
H.E. Asfaw Dingamo, Minister of Water Resources of Ethiopia; Hon. Ambassador Stanislas Kamanzi, Minister of Lands and Water Management of Rwanda; Hon. Prof. Mark James Mwandosya, Minister of Water and Irrigation of Tanzania; and Hon. Isaac Isanga Musumba, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Regional Cooperation) of Uganda who signed the Agreement immediately after the opening, all described the ceremony as a land mark event. Today marks a land mark event, the realization of a goal toward which we all have been working for over a decade now. It marks the long distance we have cooperatively traversed to reach a level of trust and confidence that has enabled us to achieve a historic Framework Agreement that is fair, benefits all of us, harms none of us and leaves none of us out,” said H.E. Asfaw Dingamo in his statement. Uganda’s Minister Hon. Isaac Musumba said that “considering that all the principles and articles of the draft Cooperative Framework were discussed by the countries and consensus reached on all except for one clause under Article 14b on Water Security it is appropriate that this document is opened for signature to pave way for establishment of the Nile River Basin Commission.”
Prof. Mark Mwandosya described the Agreement as “not exclusive of any member state. It is indeed inclusive”. He added that the socio-economic well being of the people of the basin can be achieved through cooperation, hence the importance of the Cooperative Framework Agreement.
Rwanda’s Minister, Ambassador Kamanzi also said that “signing will boost development for our population”.
Kenya was represented by its High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Maj. General Geoffrey L. Okanga who reaffirmed Kenya’s solidarity in the signing of the Agreement. He said the Kenyan Minister for Water and Irrigation, Hon. Charity Kaluki Ngilu has not been able to attend but has “signaled her readiness to sign this agreement as soon as possible because Kenya’s position on this matter has not changed and remains the same,” said H.E. Maj. General Okanga.
The Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo was represented by the 1st Secretary, Mr. Jeff Mambole.
The Cooperative Framework Agreement will formalize the transformation of the Nile Basin Initiative into a permanent Nile River Basin Commission and facilitate its legal recognition in the member countries as well as regional and international organizations.
The ceremony was also witnessed by the media, CFA negotiators, Nile Basin discourse and members of the Nile Technical Advisory Committee as well as staff of the Nile Basin Initiative.