Over 1000 delegates are scheduled to participate in the celebrations which will be held in Tanzania for the first time, on September 15. Mugumu town, the capital of wildlife-rich district of Serengeti is hostingthe event involving Tanzania and the neighbouringKenya.
The day brings together key stakeholders of the Mara River which is shared between the two East African sister countries.
Officials are making final touches aimed at making the event successfully under close supervision of the Mara Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr John Tupa and District Commissioners (DCs).
“We want our Mara Day celebrations to meetinternational standards,“ RC Tupa noted during the latest crucial meeting sat at a hotel in Mugumu town in preparation of the celebrations.
There are unconfirmed reports that Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is scheduled to grace the real big day. The Mara RC, Mr Tupa is expected to confirm the reports any time from now.
About 250 Kenyan delegates are scheduled to participate, according to officials with Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) who attended the preparation meeting.
“The Kenyan delegates would include ministers, permanent secretaries, groups of students and representatives of MaraRiver Basin water users association,” an official with LVBC told this reporters.
LVBC is already taking part in preparation of the forthcoming Mara Day celebrations in collaboration with USAID East Africa. The ministry of water has also chipped in.
Some delegates will have an opportunity to visit Kogatende, an entry point where annually migration of wildebeest pass when crossing Mara River heading to Masai Mara Game Reserve on the Kenyan side, hailing from SENAPA on the Tanzanian side and vice versa.
Situated in the Northern fringes of Serengeti, Kogatende is about 58 km away from Mugumu town where the event will be taking place . The celebrations will be coloured by an exhibition with pavilions of key stakeholders including water users associations from both countries.
Many of them have confirmed participation, according to officials. Conservation and tourism related issues are due to dominate the exhibition expected for official launching on September 12. The day will be further coloured by traditional dance groups and various sports including what officials have named as Mara Day Serengeti marathon.
The aim of the day endorsed by- is protect and conserve the Mara River which starts on Mau forest on the Kenyan side and discharge water into Lake Victoria on the Tanzania side after crossing Masai Mara Game Reserve and Serengeti National Park (SENAPA).
Sustainable conservation of the river is significant as far as conservation of the two wildlife-rich game protected areas are concerned.
Rotational commemoration of the day between the two countries is anticipated to boost protection and conservation campaign of Mara River basin, that is reportedly under threat due to increased human activities such deforestation.
The decision to have Mara Day celebrations was made by Lake Victoria Council of Ministers session which sat in the Rwandan capital Kigali in May, last year. Commemoration of Mara Day is also designed to make stakeholders and local communities living within and close to Mara River celebrate the great migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest crossing the river every year. The day was commemorated for the first time in the Kenyan Bometi district last year (2012).
