By Absalom Namwalo
Sign of relief to hundreds of fishermen in Lake Victoria following the government bilateral talks to address the regular harassment of fishermen by security men from Uganda for encroachment and violation of the fishing policies.
In a statement by the ministry of foreign affairs while responding to the question raised by Busia Women Rep Catherine Omanyo on decisive measures by the government to address the persistent harassment of fishermen in the lake by security from neighboring countries, the ministry has highlighted the bilateral talks held on May 12th to 14th 2024 in effort to identify the underlying issues.
“Kenya and Uganda have enjoyed long cordial relationships dating back in the colonial days, whose relationship cuts across social and economic spectrums,” noted.
The meeting which resolved to harmonize the policies in the lake will see fishermen trained and engaged on the use of right fishing gears so as to regulate fishermen from fishing undersize fish.
The ministry has resolved to regularly engage the Uganda counterparties through the Kenyan Embassy.
“Besides the use of the Embassy, some of these issues will be resolved through Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) of April 2022 between Kenya and Uganda which is implemented through joint defence committee(JDC),”highlighted.
According to JDC’s agreement, it recognizes the importance of sustainably managing shared resources by the communities living along the border for socio-economic development and peaceful cooperation.
The timely concern by Hon. Omanyo came at a time Kenya’s fishermen continue to be arrested with over 20 fishermen serving jail terms or in detention in Uganda. This is according to Beach Management Units reports in Busia.
“Fishing remains a vital economic activity of families in Bunyala and Samia sub-counties, contributing directly and indirectly to 40% of economic activities in Busia county. Therefore any security issue which threatens its sustainability must be urgently addressed,” said Hon Omanyo.
In 2023, over 230 Kenyan fishermen were arrested while in Lake Victoria for encroachment or fishing with kits which violated the lake policies. 17 boats and over 32 fishing nets were destroyed for failure to meet the required standard.
“The fish population has gone down. Both the county and national governments whose populations depend on the lake for survival must now develop a new farming model either to restock the fish or by the introduction of fish cage farming to save the lives of those who depend on the lake to earn a living,” said Omanyo.
Both Kenyan fishermen and fish traders from Busia in the recent past have decried extortion and harassment from some officials from Uganda who demand abnormal fees from them to allow them transport their fish to DRC.
The move saw Kenyan traders lose councilmen of fish worth 50 million to the Ugandan military who impounded the 5 trucks before offloading and disposing off the entire produce within.
The ministry of foreign affair in their resolution with Uganda counterparts and JDC agreed as follows;
- Both governments must sensitize their fishermen to obtain licenses and have the right fishing gear. Kenyan fishermen who wish to fish in Uganda must obtain a license to operate there.
- Any arrest of fishermen must be done by security officers in uniform to avoid confrontation and extortion by brokers and criminals who operate in the lake.
- Joint meetings and regular engagement to iron-out differences and any miscommunications which must arise.
“Last year I was among the traders who lost 90 tons of fish worth 50 million to Ugandan authorities. We are still paying loans we took from banks even as we think of the next move,” said Judy Atieno, a fish vendor in Busia.
The resolution will see Kenyan fish traders and fishermen continue to export over 800 tons of fish to DRC and South Sudan weekly, a business that has employed over four thousand youths in Busia county.