Kenya faulted a 1929 agreement signed between Egypt and Britain, its former colonial ruler, that allegedly barred the country from using the water from the lake.
The call was made in a resolution read by MP Mutava Musyimi, who is the Chair of the Kenyan Parliamentary committee on Lands and Mineral resources, at a one-day workshop organized by the Ministry of water and the Nile Basin Initiative held at the Lake Victoria port city of Kisumu to sensitize legislators on the issue.
The lawmakers observed that Sudan and Egypt, the Nile river’s downstream riparian countries which contribute very little water into the basin, were the largest users of the water.
The two countries did not, however, contribute to investments and management of the water catchments in the upper riparian countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which sustain the lake Victoria and river Nile.
"The two downstream riparian states have an obligation to make substantial contribution towards environmental conservation and sustainable development of the catchment areas,"said the lawmakers.
They said that the previous legal instruments on which they seem to rely on were moribund and therefore not valid.
The MPs said that the Lake Victoria was a national and natural asset that was key to the survival and development within the basin and the nation as a whole.
More details and harmonization of facts and figures regarding Lake Victoria water resources are required as different riparian countries appeared to hold unreconciled data.
The water level in Lake Victoria has rapidly fallen by 2.5 metres in the last 10 years due to the unregulated release of water from the lake through Jinja Ugand a which has seriously undermined development projects in Kenya and must be brought under control, it was observed.
The Legislators suggested that funds should be established to be applied in the management of water catchment areas and that the same should be entrenched in the agreement.
They insisted that Kenya must assess the net benefits of being party to the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework agreements before they are adopted and endorsed by the National assembly.
Meanwhile, the MPs said that on the ratification of the cooperative framework, Kenya would continue to invest in projects within its side of the basin that will advance its interest without regard to the old and obsolete agreements.
The members resolved that more consultations should be undertaken to create consensus and awareness amongst stakeholders before ratification.
Kisumu - 31/07/2009
Pana
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