End stalemate over Sh250 million Busia fish, state urged

Matayos MP Geoffrey Odanga has urged the government to save traders from the loss of fish worth Sh250 million held in warehouses in Busia.

Odanga said on Monday that 100 tonnes worth Sh40 million have already been confiscated by the Ugandan authorities.

He spoke during a meeting in the Busia One-Stop Border Post boardroom.

“Many households rely on the cross-border trade between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC and anything that tries to hamper the trade should be addressed immediately,” he said

Odanga suggested that the government use a diplomatic approach to address the stalemate between Kenya and Uganda.

“According to the EAC protocol, the relationship is beneficial to citizens of the whole region. The issues facing fish traders also affect traders in other sectors,” he said.

The MP said traders have encountered huge losses since the onset of the stalemate and a number of youths might be tempted to engage in criminal activities.

“This is something that we can arrest if the government sets in to at least save what we have and have a good agreement with the neighbouring country,” he said.

He added that Kenya is employing internationally accepted practices while Uganda is acting to the contrary.

Odanga at the same time urged the government to come up with alternative routes to the DRC in case it becomes difficult to convince the Ugandan government to open their roads.

“There is some form of toll payment being done as our people use Ugandan roads yet some of the roads are international,” he said.

The lawmaker promised that he will approach the parliamentary committee to visit the traders and make reports to parliament so that the situation is addressed.

“Let’s move with speed and establish talks with the neighbouring country so that we have trade flowing in a smooth manner,” he said.

Fisheries CAS Lawrence Omuhaka sympathised with the traders for the great losses they have incurred due to the stalemate.

Omuhaka wondered why the Ugandan authorities were interfering with goods that have already been cleared by officials from both the Kenyan and Ugandan OSBP officials.

“Internationally such practices are not allowed and the Ugandan authorities should be guided by the existing law,” he said.

Omuhaka said the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives will have a multi-sectorial committee with the EAC, trade foreign Affairs, interior and KRA with a view to addressing the stalemate.

“Before the end of the week, we are going to have a delegation to visit Uganda and if they fail to strike a deal, the matter will be escalated to the two Presidents,” he said.

The CAS further said that the Ugandan team will be facilitated to visit Lake Turkana and witness the huge volumes of fish emanating from there.

Omuhaka said no Ugandan official is allowed to verify fish from Kenya without authority from the relevant department.

The CAS, however, advised residents against closing the border as 70 per cent of Kenya’s international trade volumes go to Uganda.

“We want to solve these issues amicably by sitting together with the Ugandan leadership," he said.

On Sunday, around 700 fish traders had threatened to stage a peaceful demonstration and paralyse the movement of goods from Uganda.

The traders complained that Ugandan authorities confiscated four lorries of fish worth Sh40 million destined to the DRC, claiming that the consignment was from Lake Kyoga.

The traders argued that there is a group of cartels from both Kenya and Uganda who are hell-bent on sabotaging the trade.

They presented a memorandum to CAS, listing their grievances and requested the President to intervene.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)