- Kenya through the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), the ASALs, and Regional Development has confirmed readiness to host the event.
- Among the activities planned for the event include a scientific conference, tree planting, exhibitions, and competitions.
Image: HANDOUT
Preparations for the 13th Mara Day celebration have begun in earnest.
The annual event will be held at Maasai Mara University in Narok County, Kenya from the 13th to the 15th of September.
This year’s theme is: “Flowing Forward Together: Conserving Mara Basin Ecosystem for Sustainable Biodiversity and Climate Resilience”.
Kenya through the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), the ASALs, and Regional Development has confirmed readiness to host the event.
In a letter sent to Lake Victoria Basin Commission Executive Secretary Masinde Bwire, the ministry stated that the preparations to host the event are underway.
Among the activities planned for the event include a scientific conference, tree planting, exhibitions, and competitions.
The event is held on a rotational basis between Kenya and Tanzania.
Last year, Tanzania hosted the 12th Mara Day Celebrations in Mugumu, Serengeti district, Mara Region.
The Mara River Basin forms one of ten major rivers that drain into Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.
The river is the lifeline of the world’s renowned Maasai Mara and Serengeti ecosystem which forms the bedrock of tourism activities for the two sister EAC countries.
Mara Day celebration helps to recognize and safeguard the vitality of the shared Mara Serengeti ecosystem.
Representatives from Kenya and Tanzania signed an MOU during the 12th Mara Day
Positive results including the signing of an MOU between Kenya and Tanzania on the transboundary water resources management for the Mara River Basin and the formation of the Mara River Transboundary water users’ forum have been birthed because of the past celebrations.
Several dignitaries from the East African partner states are expected to grace the occasion
At the same time, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) has partnered with Maasai Mara University to hold the scientific conference on 14th September 2024.
The two institutions have already invited calls for papers, posters, and exhibitions during the scientific conference.
The conference will be open to researchers, students and government officials in the East African Community Partner states namely, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC Congo, and Tanzania.
International Researchers doing research in the Mara Basin Ecosystem who would wish to address issues related to the Lake Victoria Basin in an interdisciplinary approach have also been invited. ends