Foreign Affairs CAS Ababu Namwamba has expressed concern over rising cases of harassment of fishermen and engine boat operators in Lake Victoria.
Namwamba dismissed as uncalled for the harassment of engine boat operators by the Kenya Coast Guard Services and the Kenya Maritime Authority over claims that they have no certification from the Kenya Maritime College in Mombasa.
The former Budalang'i MP spoke during the burial of his uncle, Joachim Mugabe, in Bumadeya village, Bunyala West.
"I call upon political leadership in Bunyala to move with speed and write a letter to the directors of the Kenya Coast Guard Services and the Kenya Maritime Authority to bring instructors from the college in Mombasa to come and train the engine boat operators at Bunyala Vocational Training Institute instead of requiring them to train in Mombasa," he said.
On harassment of fishermen by Uganda security officers, Namwamba said the Foreign Affairs ministry is already in talks with Uganda and other East African Community members to resolve the matter once and for all.
"I would wish to assure our fishermen from Funyula and Budalang'i that the harassment will come to an end," he said.
Recently, fishermen from Bukoma beach, led by Busia County Fishermen Network chairman Sylvester Kaywa, complained about harassment.
"Since the arrival of the Kenya Maritime Authority and the Kenya Coast Guards Services here in Budalang'i, we have been forced to withdraw our boats from the lake for fear of arrest," Kaywa said.
"This has put us in a very awkward position because we wholly rely on fishing for our livelihood."
Some fishermen said they had been coerced by Ugandan marine security officers to eat raw fish at gunpoint and those who failed to comply were shot dead and thrown into the lake.
"We are appealing to President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene as a matter of urgency and dialogue with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to end persistent harassment by Uganda marine security officers," a victim said, requesting anonymity.
Another victim narrated how he escaped death when he was thrown into the lake by the Ugandan officers.
"They threw me into the lake, but after swimming a few metres from the scene, I was rescued by some fishermen who responded to my distress call," he said.
Namwamba at the same time expressed concern about the poor state of a rural access road from Marenga beach to Omena beach, saying he is collaborating with some stakeholders to rehabilitate it.
