Kabale, Uganda

 

The Nile Day, which is celebrated on the 22nd February of each year, is an annual event organized in the Nile riparian countries to mark the historic day in 1999 when the NBI was launched by the Council of Ministers of water affairs in the Nile Basin countries. The day is also used to reflect on the achievements of the NBI. Activities to mark the day include tree planting, speeches, songs, poetry recitations, art exhibits, public debates, media talk shows, and sports tournaments.

The organization of the event is supported by civil society groups such as the Nile Basin Discourse Forums, and by the NBI centres. Local and national events take place throughout the Nile Basin, while one regional celebration, attended by representatives from all the riparian countries, is held in one of the Nile Basin countries. The 2010 regional Nile Day celebrations had been planned to take place in Egypt but have had to be put off because of devastating floods in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

The NBI Secretariat will join the Government of Uganda in Nile Day celebrations which will take place in Kabale town, in south-western Uganda. The celebrations kick off with a brass band march through the streets of Kabale town on Sunday 21st February 2010, and climax with a series of activities such as tree planting and speeches, on Monday 22nd February 2010.

The theme is “Nurturing 10 Years of Cooperation and Progress”.