Security agencies drawn from both Kenya and Uganda held a consultative meeting on Saturday, July 8, in Busia following the killing of two Kenyan fishermen at Lake Victoria.
The meeting was convened by security officers from the two nations to find a solution to the constant harassment of Kenyan fishermen by Ugandan authorities.
Acting Busia County Commissioner Kipchumba Rutto and his Ugandan counterpart Michael Kibwika noted that investigations commenced with collaboration from both officers to establish the root cause of the scuffle that ensued.
The Ugandan officers accused of committing the crime have since been arrested - the first resolution agreed upon during the meeting.
Commissioner Rutto noted that a campaign was created to raise awareness of Ugandan laws including matters of fishing.
"We are sensitising our people through public Barazas under the management unit to make sure they don't contravene the Ugandan laws on matters fishing and other laws," Kipchumba told the press.
Ugandan Commissioner Kibwika also revealed that a quarterly meeting would be held in a year to discuss any prevailing issues regarding the two countries.
He added that both parties agreed that illegal fishing at Lake Victoria would not be entertained.
"We have agreed as situated committees that every quarter we shall be holding meetings to review our performance. If we identify a challenge, we mitigate and come up with measures that can solve such situations. So, we have agreed and we shall continue to agree that illegal fishing is a crime," Kibwika stated.
On Tuesday, July 4, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed that two Kenyan fishermen were approached by Ugandan officers leading to chaotic scenes that turned into a fatal shooting.
"We were told that the fishermen were traveling from Mareka in Port Victoria to Simba Island when they encountered the Ugandan People Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers who forced them to stop.
"The Ugandan soldiers asked them questions about why they were fishing in the area. A confrontation ensued before one officer took his gun and shot the fishermen," an officer privy to the matter explained.
Fearing for their lives, the other fishermen jumped into the water to escape the melee.
"The rest of the fishermen then jumped into the water and started swimming in an attempt to escape the wrath of the Ugandan soldiers," the officer added.
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