Kenyan fishermen have extended their cries to President Uhuru Kenyatta following their woes at the hands of Uganda marine police who patrol Lake Victoria boundaries.
The devasted Busia fishermen narrated how the police arrest them and force them to each raw fish from their catch at gunpoint.
“It is inhumane for Ugandan officers to subject us to eat raw fish at gunpoint, they also take away and destroy our boats and nets yet we have spent a lot of money to purchase the gear,” a fisherman complained.
This takes place in a camp on an island in the lake where their boats, engines and fishing gear are confiscated as reported by Nation.
Sometimes they are even ordered to carry heavy luggage on their backs and forced to climb up and down the island several times.
After the heinous torture, the fishermen have no choice but to board passenger boats back to Kenya bruised and empty-handed.
The Ugandan Marine police, however, accused the fishermen of crossing boundaries in the lake and using illegal fishing gear in Ugandan waters.
However, Kenyan fishermen decried the accusation on grounds that they cross the borders because there are no visible markers in the said waters.
The fishermen from Budalangi and Funyula cried to Uhuru to come to their rescue. They also requested him to initiate dialogue with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to end the constant harassment.
Speaking to Nation, the Busia County Beach Management Unit chairperson, Sylvester Kaywa, on Thursday, urged the president to intervene and rescue them from what they termed as huge losses.
“We appeal to President Kenyatta to dialogue with Mr. Museveni for a lasting solution to this matter already rendering residents jobless,” appealed Kaywa
This comes after African Union envoy Raila Odinga's previous call for harmonizing of fishing regulations to put an end to the perennial clashes between Kenyan fishermen and Ugandan authorities.
According to Raila, who spoke at the Marenga beach in Budalang’i in December, harassing Kenyan fishers defeats the spirit of the East Africa Community.
