Tanzania and Kenya Negotiate Mara River Dam

Kenya and Tanzania continue to negotiate the planned construction of hydroelectric dams on the Mara River. In 2016 Kenya announced its intention to construct the dams. However, the Government of Tanzania has opposed the construction on the basis that the dams could have an adverse impact on Serengeti ecosystems.

The 400-kilometer Mara river is a lifeline to millions of animals and an important asset to the region’s tourism industry.

According to Tanzania’s deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Constantine Kanyasu, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, is overseeing negotiations between the two countries.

"The existence of the Mara River is the lifeline of the Serengeti. We have commissioned Tanzania National Parks Authority to look out for any sign of the construction of the projects," Kanyasu has stated.