A network of fishermen on Lake Victoria has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to lobby for access to Ugandan and Tanzanian fishing territories.
They told Uhuru to use his East African Community chairmanship to ask the neighbours that share the lake and allow for fishing everywhere as fish have no restricted movement.
Lake Victoria Beach Management Unit Network national chair Tom Guda said border insecurity, harassment and arrests of Kenyan fishers should also be addressed.
"With harmonised fisheries laws, there should not be any restrictions to East African fishers on any part of the lake," he said.
In their request to the President ahead of the Madaraka Day fête in Kisumu next week, Guda said taxes on nets, twines, floats and engines should be waived.
The BMU network has 140 groups representing over 100,000 fishers from Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya and Busia.
"We want to appeal to the President to consider supporting fisheries by starting the construction of the earmarked Lake Victoria Ring road project that was to be supported by World Bank. Improved Road Network within the landing sites would be a great booster to fish trade and improved incomes," he said.
Guda said the water level in Lake Victoria has been rising over time, causing destruction to BMU fish handling infrastructure.
(edited by o. owino)
