This is because the challenges facing the ecosystem are both local and trans-boundary in nature.
This was the clarion call that was made this week even as stakeholders converged in Bomet County to mark Mara Day.
Water CS Eric Muuga said there is a need to implementing the bilateral and regional frameworks it has entered with Tanzania to safeguard the Mara River.
Making the commitments to better protect the basin on Tuesday, Muuga said Kenya will jealously guard the resource.
“When we speak about the Mara River, we are not simply talking about water flowing from one place to another. We are talking about water that sustains an entire ecosystem and supports the economies of both Kenya and Tanzania,”Mugaa said.
The CS was speaking in Bomet County during this year’s commemoration of Mara Day.
Mugaa said the Mara supports communities, livestock, agriculture, tourism and wildlife.
“The same water supports the Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya and flows downstream into Tanzania, supporting the Serengeti ecosystem and communities along the river,” he said.
Mugaa said what happens upstream affects those who live downstream.
“We cannot manage the Mara River as Kenya alone, and Tanzania cannot manage it alone. It is a shared resource, and therefore it requires shared responsibility. Kenya remains committed to implementing the bilateral and regional frameworks between ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Tanzania to safeguard the Mara River,” Mugaa said.
He added: “Our responsibility is to ensure that there is adequate water in the Mara River, that its catchment is protected and that the river continues to support the ecosystems, livelihoods and economies of our two countries.”
Water from Mara River supports communities, wildlife, agriculture, livestock and the economy.
Mugaa reiterated that there is a need to jealously guard the resource to make sure that it continues supporting the Kenyan as well as the Tanzania citizens.
“This is why cooperation between our two countries is very important. The Mara is one river shared by two nations, and we must protect it together for the generations that will come after us,” he said.
Mara Day is an annual transboundary conservation event that brings together stakeholders from Kenya and Tanzania to promote the protection and sustainable management of the Mara River Basin.
The day is coordinated through the Lake Victoria Basin Commission under the East African Community and provides a platform for governments, communities, conservation organisations, academia, development partners, private sector actors and other stakeholders to reflect on the state of the Mara ecosystem and agree on collective actions for its future.
The 2026 celebration marks the 15th anniversary of Mara Day, an important milestone that reflects 15 years of continued transboundary collaboration and commitment to safeguarding the Mara River and the communities, wildlife and economies that depend on it.
This year’s theme, “Mara River, Diverse Lives: Keep It Thriving” – “Mto Mara, Uhai wa Viumbe, Tuuutunze”, recognises the Mara River as a lifeline supporting people, wildlife, agriculture, tourism and local economies across Kenya and Tanzania.
The anniversary also provides an opportunity to reflect on progress made over the years while recognising the growing pressures facing the basin, including deforestation, changing land use, pollution, unsustainable agriculture, water abstraction, catchment degradation and the impacts of climate change.
Because the Mara is a shared transboundary resource, its protection requires coordinated action, harmonised policies, strong community participation and collaboration between institutions in Kenya and Tanzania.
The 15th anniversary of Mara Day reinforces a simple but powerful message: the Mara River is a shared resource, and keeping it thriving is a shared responsibility.
Mugaa said hydrometric and gauging stations in have been installed in many of the catchments in anticipation of El Nino.
They are intended to provide real-time data to monitor the flow of water in rivers and issue timely advisories to communities upstream and downstream.
“We can advise communities living in flood-prone areas to remain alert and, where necessary, move to higher ground. The information also helps us monitor our dams and predict when they are likely to spill.”
Mugaa urged communities to harvest water.
Ministry of East African Community CS Beatrice Askul said the Mara River does not recognise national borders.
“As we celebrate, we must also acknowledge the threats facing this vital river: declining water quality, unsustainable land use, degradation of upstream watersheds, pressure on forests and growing demand for water,” Askul said.
The CS said challenges facing the ecosystem not only threatens it but also food security, local economies and the wellbeing of present and future generations.
“Conservation of the Mara River must be pursued as a collective responsibility.”
Askul said Kenya and Tanzania must continue deepening cooperation through the East African Community framework, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and other bilateral and regional mechanisms.
“Our shared priorities should include Integrated Water Resources Management, protection of catchment areas, restoration of degraded landscapes, climate resilience, responsible water use and stronger institutional coordination. The Government remains committed to strengthening cooperation across our borders.”
World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya manager for Rift Lakes Region Kevin Gichangi said his organization has been working in the Mara since 2003 trying to turn the tides on challenges facing the ecosystem.
“Over those many years, we have continued to collaborate with different partners, including development partners, and we have seen significant changes, especially in the formation and strengthening of community-based institutions in both Kenya and Tanzania. These include Community Forest Associations, Water Resource Users Associations and many others.”
Gichangi said they have collaborated with partners to ensure an Integrated Water Resources Management is in action.
“Collaboration between two countries that share a river is exactly what is required for us to effectively manage that resource. We must remember that the Mara River is one of the most important rivers in this region. It sustains communities, wildlife and livelihoods and is the only permanent source of water supporting the greater Mara ecosystem.”
State Department for Wildlife Conservation Secretary Dr John Chumo said wildlife, especially hippos, crocodiles and the wider aquatic ecosystem, depends on healthy rivers to thrive.
“As the State Department for Wildlife, we are working very closely with stakeholders, particularly our colleagues in the ministries responsible for environment and forestry, to ensure that the Mau Forest and other important catchment areas extending towards our borders are protected and restored through afforestation and other conservation programmes.”
Chumo urged development partners to continue supporting the ongoing efforts saying government cannot do it alone.
Bomet Governor Prof Hillary Barchok said they have have a responsibility to protect our water sources, restore degraded landscapes and riparian areas, and promote sustainable land-use practices.
“Nature recognises no political boundaries. The Mara River cannot be sustainably managed through fragmented approaches. Its future depends on strong cooperation between Kenya and Tanzania, working through the East African Community and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, and involving national and county governments, communities, researchers, conservation organisations, development partners and the private sector.”
Barchok said communities remain at the heart of conservation and that the recommendations from the discussions must move from dialogue into policies, programmes, projects and measurable actions.
He said the day must be a platform not only for celebration, but also for accountability and delivery.
“Climate change, landscape degradation, pollution and increasing demand for water make this responsibility even more urgent. We must invest in catchment restoration, sustainable farming, pollution prevention, improved waste management and climate resilience.”
Barchok said there is a need to strengthen the use of science, innovation and local knowledge so that research informs policy, investment and practical interventions.
