East African Community (EAC) has officially announced the inauguration of Lake Victoria Day, set to be commemorated for the first time on May 21, 2026.

Organised by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) – a specialised institution of the EAC – the celebrations will spotlight the growing challenges facing Lake Victoria, which is a lifeline for over 45 million people in the Great Lakes Region.

Initially proposed for November 29, 2024, the event was rescheduled to avoid clashing with the EAC Heads of State Summit.  The new date was endorsed during the 23rd Sectoral Council of Ministers for Lake Victoria Basin (SECOM-LVB) meeting in Kisumu, where ministers from the EAC partner states underlined the urgency of conserving the lake’s rapidly declining ecosystem.

Themed “Revive and Thrive: Uniting for Lake Victoria’s Future,” the event will be hosted on a rotational basis among EAC Partner States in the lake basin.

While making the announcement in Kisumu, LVBC Executive Secretary, Dr Masinde Bwire, said the inaugural Lake Victoria Day will bring together regional stakeholders, policy-makers, scientists, environmentalists and local communities.

A broad range of activities will be held, including scientific conferences, development partner forums, and policy dialogues addressing critical challenges such as pollution control, climate change adaptation, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), institutional capacity building, and sustainable development.

Other activities, he said, include clean-up campaigns, eco-tourism initiatives, exhibitions and stakeholder dialogues adding that the initiative seeks to raise awareness about the challenges facing Lake Victoria, including pollution, declining fish stocks, and climate change impacts.

Lake Victoria, he said, has come under immense pressure from unchecked pollution, rising population and urbanization, overfishing, invasive species, and the worsening impacts of climate change.

Untreated waste from urban centres of Kisumu and Siaya (Kenya), Mwanza (United Republic of Tanzania) and Kampala (Uganda) and plastic pollution have severely degraded the lake’s biodiversity and water quality, threatening the livelihoods of millions who depend on it.

The launch of Lake Victoria Day, he said aligns with EAC’s broader environmental and sustainability agenda and will serve as a yearly platform to assess progress, mobilise support and celebrate regional efforts in restoring one of the continent’s most vital natural resources.

LVBC, which is headquartered in Kisumu, he said has rolled out a number of projects and initiatives aimed at sustainable development and management of the Lake Victoria Basin.

• A Tell / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara