DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 5 -- Authorities in Tanzania said on Wednesday they will consult their Kenyan counterparts over major projects that Kenya plans to implement along the shared Mara River.
This follows the reports that the neighboring country will construct dams on the 400-kilometer river which originates from the Mau Forest in Kenya and flows to Tanzania.
"We will consult them to see if such reports are true. And if so we will find out if the planned projects fall within the framework of our bilateral cooperation," said January Makamba, the Minister of State in the Vice President's Office responsible for Environment, in a news conference held in Arusha.
Makamba said so far there was no dispute between Tanzania and Kenya over the utilization and abstraction of water and other resources from the river.
"Mara River is one of the shared trans-boundary resources between our two countries, others being lakes Chala, Jipe, Natron and Victoria," he said.
Both countries are members of the six-member East African Community (EAC). Other members of the regional bloc are Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
He added that besides being bound by the EAC protocols, there were bilateral protocols between Tanzania and Kenya on sustainable utilization and conservation of Mara River and other trans-boundary resources.
Mara River empties into Lake Victoria, a shared lake whose conservation, utilization and exploitation for economic resources is administered through a host of EAC protocols.
The river, with a drainage area covering 13,504 square kilometers, is also considered the lifeline of millions of wild animals in the Serengeti ecosystem and the tourism industry in both countries. Enditem