If you wish to read more on the so-called Nile Treaty of 1929 see:
http://works.bepress.com...p;context=joseph_kieyah
"2.1The Nile Agreement
In May 7, 1929, Egypt and the United Kingdom signed the Nile Agreement for the purpose of sharing the Nile waters. The agreement was in the form of exchange notes between the Egyptian Prime Minister and the United Kingdom High Commissioner in
1925 and 1929, respectively. It also includes the report of the 1925 Nile Commission.
The two countries’ desire to engage in a comprehensive large scale control works on the Nile mainly precipitated the signing of the agreement24. These proposed works included among others, two dams in Sudan; Gebel Aulia and Sennar dams. Viewing the construction of these dams as a threat to its interest, Egypt suspended its financial commitment to the construction of Sennar dam. Nonetheless, the Sudanese government with UK’s assistance completed the Sennar dam, which led to a diplomatic fallout between Egypt and Britain25. The assassination of the British Governor-General of Sudan in Cairo further escalated the fallout. To ease the tensions, the Egyptian Prime Minister and the British High Commissioner exchanged notes that became part of the Nile
Agreement26.
From selected terms of the Nile Agreement, Egypt first, reserved the right to renegotiate based on the future political status of Sudan, which was then a UK’s protectorate. Second, Egypt agreed to a limited increase of Sudan’s water apportionment and accepted the report of the1925 Nile Commission as an integral part of
the Agreement. Third, Egypt stipulated a property rule to protect her natural and historic
rights over the Nile. Fourth, Egypt sought the right to construct, maintain and administer any works on Nile in Sudan’s territory subject to consultation with Sudanese local government.
On its part, United Kingdom first withdrew her mandate that had given the Sudanese government unlimited access of Nile waters to develop Gezira. Second, the UK acknowledged Egypt’s natural and historical rights over the Nile based on prior use.
For seventy five years, the Nile Agreement has never been invoked or applied in any former British territories after their ndependence28. Though the legality of the agreement has never been formally challenged, the question remains whether it is still in
force. Egypt’s view is that pending further agreement, the Nile Agreement is valid and applicable. This position is consistent with the Britain Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs statement on the Nile waters.
Following its independence, Sudan repudiated the Nile Agreement based on the doctrine of rebus sic stantibus. This doctrine allows a party to rescind a treaty if there is a material change of circumstances that transform the rights and obligation of the treaty.Sudan argued that its accession to independence amounted to a vital change of circumstances. Later Sudan accepted the Nile Agreement when it signed the 1959 Agreement with Egypt.
Upon its independence, Tanzania formally invoked the Nyerere Doctrine. In a formal declaration to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Tanzanian government accepted with stipulations all bilateral treaties, which were signed by UK had signed on her behalf. Such treaties would remain in force on the basis of reciprocity for two years from 1960 unless abrogated or modified earlier by mutual consent33. Tanzania also issued identical notes to Britain, Egypt and Sudan outlining her policy on the
utilization of the Nile waters. Tanzania’s government asserted that the Nile Agreement was not binding but agreed to negotiate with all riparian states to formulate a new framework based on just and equitable principles.
Following their independence, Uganda and Kenya, respectively, adopted the Tanzanian approach but they did not specifically challenge the devolution of the NileAgreement. Instead they agreed to uphold on reciprocity basis, all bilateral treaties that
were concluded by the United Kingdom on their behalf for two years36. If such treaties were not renegotiated or modified, within the two years, then they became invalid subject to the rules of customary international law. More recently, however, Kenya government officials have demanded a revision of the Nile Agreement."