an , ▁and ▁Egypt ▁before ▁empty ing ▁into ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea . ▁When ▁water ▁levels ▁dropped ▁too ▁low , ▁flow ▁into ▁the ▁river ▁ceased . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁Charles ▁Red vers ▁West la ke , ▁an ▁English ▁engineer , ▁reported ▁to ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Government ▁of ▁U g anda ▁recomm ending ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁hydro elect ric ▁dam ▁at ▁O wen ▁F alls ▁near ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Jin ja . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁U g anda ▁Electric ity ▁Board ▁( UE B ), ▁with ▁West la ke ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁chairman . ▁A ▁treat y ▁between ▁U g anda ▁and ▁Egypt ▁ens ured ▁that ▁the ▁natural ▁flow ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁alter ed ▁by ▁the ▁dam . ▁The ▁consult ant ▁engineer ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁Sir ▁Alexander ▁Gib b ▁& ▁Part ners . ▁E ight y ▁thousand ▁tons ▁of ▁plant ▁and ▁construction ▁materials ▁( including ▁ 3 6 , 0 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁c ement ) ▁were ▁sh ipped ▁out ▁from ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁difficult ▁post - war ▁period . ▁They ▁were ▁then ▁ha u led ▁ 7 5 0 ▁miles ▁by ▁rail ▁from ▁M omb asa ▁to ▁Jin ja . ▁The ▁dam ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁three ▁years , ▁ahead ▁of ▁schedule , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁sub mer ging ▁R ip on ▁F alls .. ▁▁ ▁It ▁supplies ▁electric ity ▁to ▁U g anda ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁neighbour ing ▁Ken ya ▁and ▁T