Kenyan authorities are holding hostage the bodies of nine Ugandans who drowned in Lake Victoria on Tuesday night, November 17.
The authorities issued an ultimatum to their Ugandan counterparts, demanding them to release two Kenyan fishermen that had been arrested and their boats confiscated in an incident that happened on Thursday night, November 19.
The Kenya Coast Guard authorities remained adamant that the bodies of nine dead Ugandans would not be released if the two Kenyans were not released.
Relatives, who have since confirmed the deceased's bodies, and police officers in the area have started negotiations on how to go about the matter, but the Kenya Coast Guard has remained firm in its decision.
The boat, which was headed to Honge beach in Bondo sub-county from Uganda, capsized on Tuesday, leading to the death of 10 passengers.
10 other passengers who were aboard the boat were rescued by fishermen who had heard their loud cries.
One of the bodies was retrieved on Wednesday while the rest were found on Friday, November 20.
Police officers said that the accident might have been caused by strong winds and overloading.
The Coast Guard Service Officer in charge of Inland Squadron Bernard Mibei addressed journalists saying that the boat was ferrying agricultural produce.
A survivor has since narrated the events that took place before the fatal incident took place.
"We had loaded our boat with bananas, potatoes and maize. When we were halfway through our journey, there were very strong winds and it also started raining," a survivor narrated.
"I saw some of the people on board drowning as some of us clung on the boat until we were rescued by fishermen in the area," he added.
