Being a Kenyan citizen, sometimes I wonder what would bring an end to the elusive drought that has claimed quite a number of lives as well as animals. I would be quick to direct the blame to our government due to its poor management and oversight in terms of food security. It has given a deaf ear also to advice on irrigation which would be the only solution to this which brings me to the Nile basin which has been rocked by controversies. The first culprit derailing the enactment of the Nile Basin treaty would be Egypt followed by Sudan. The two countries depend almost entirely on the Nile River for their agricultural production and are major users of the 6,700 km river’s waters. The Nile Co-operative Framework Agreement seeks the establishment of a permanent Nile River Basin Commission through which member countries will act together to manage and develop the resources of the Nile. The accord was to be signed in September, last year. It was, however, delayed because of lack of consensus. The new agreement is expected to replace the old one of 1929 but Egypt and Sudan are opposed to it fearing it would limit their access to the Nile. The most contentious provisions include equitable and reasonable use of the Nile waters, (prevention of harm to the waters, protection and conservation of the basin and its ecosystem among others.
