The Burundi Minister in charge of water affairs who is also the incoming chair of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers (NELCOM) Hon. Deo-Guide Rurema has congratulated NELSAP-CU for attaining a budget performance of 87% and a physical performance of 92% in the year 2019. The Hon Minister was speaking at the Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers (NELCOM) meeting in Nairobi at the end of November 2019.
CHANGE OF GUARD: THE OUTGOING NELCOM CHAIR HON. SAM CHEPTORIS THE UGANDA MINISTER IN CHARGE OF WATER AFFAIRS WELCOMES THE NEW NELCOM CHAIR HON. DEO-GUIDE RUREMA THE BURUNDI WATER MINISTER
“I take note of the exemplary performance that NELSAP-CU has realized both in budgetary as well as physical performance and urge you to maintain the same high standards so that NEL countries can continue to see, feel and enjoy the benefits of cooperation under the NBI,” Hon. Deo-Guide Rurema said. On his part, the outgoing chair of NELCOM, Uganda Minister in charge of water affairs Hon. Sam Cheptoris noted the exemplary work that NELSAP-CU is doing across the region and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the Nile Basin Cooperation.
“Uganda attaches great importance to the management of trans-boundary water resources, and during my term as NELCOM chair, I witnessed among others the signing of the bilateral MOU between DR Congo and Uganda and initiation of fisheries projects on the lakes Edward and Albert through NELSAP-CU and the LEAF II project in particular,” said Hon. Sam Cheptoris. The Hon. Minister also noted steady progress of the NBI flagship project, the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project that has improved from 15% in 2018 to 57% as of November 2019.
He said that the Rusumo Project shows that NELSAP is steadily transiting from pre-investment phase to a more tangible phase, and urged NELSAP-CU to arrange for ministerial visits to NELSAP-CU projects across the region starting with the Rusumo project, in order for the ministers to appreciate the good work that is taking place on the ground.
The Minister added that he was informed of the initiation of full feasibility studies for trans-boundary Angololo Multipurpose Water Resources project between Kenya and Uganda that is being done by NELSAP-CU on behalf of the two countries.
“These actions on the ground demonstrate the real benefits accruing from NELSAP to our people and more such benefits should be witnessed in other parts of the Nile River basin,” Hon Cheptoris said.