Fishermen at the Rhemba Island in Lake Victoria have raised an alarm over huge taxes levied on them by the Ugandan Government on Kenyan soil.
The fishermen revealed that the government of Uganda demanded a tax of Sh70,000 per boat in order for them to acquire a fishing license in the Kenyan waters.
Rhemba Island Beach Management Unit Chairman, Nicholas Ouma, complained over the unfair dealings of Uganda stating that they had encroached the Kenyan water and were now controlling it.
Ouma added that police officers from Uganda were manning the island to ensure payments were made by the fishermen failure to which they were arrested.
“What is happening is not good because we fail to understand how Ugandan police come to Kenya and impose a tax on us. We have been fishing here for many years,” the Standard quoted Ouma.
Kenya and Uganda have been in serious ownership wrangles of islands in Lake Victoria. The row intensified during the Migingo Island saga when Uganda had given Kenyans an ultimatum of vacating the island or applying for temporary residence.
Kenyan fishermen have had it rough with the Ugandan authorities who demand huge sums of money from them in order to continue with their trade.
