Egyptian Irrigation Minister heads to Kenya to discuss joint cooperation

CAIRO – 20 February 2023: Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sweilam headed Monday to Kenya in a two-day visit to hold talks on bolstering joint cooperation in the sector.  

The minister had been in South Sudan and Sudan in January for the same purpose. He stated in December that Egypt had invested LE106 million in the sector in Africa in 2022.

The works carried out include the fifth phase of the removal of weeds from African Great Lakes; the second phase of the weed removal in Uganda's Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert; the completion of seven solar-powered underground water treatment plants in rural areas near the South Sudanese capital of Juba; and, kick-starting the first phase of constructing rainwater harvesting dams in South Sudan's Khor Wara region. That is in addition to developing the Egyptian-Sudanese Permanent Technical Authority for Nile Water.

With regard to the capacity-building of human resources, 228 Arab and African professionals received training at the ministry's Regional Training Center. Further, two training courses were delivered to 38 others, from 16 African countries, in the field of river engineering, sustainable development, and the designing, measurement, operation, and maintenance of water establishments.