Three Kenyan fishermen detained in Tanzania

Ugandan marine police officers at Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. /FILE
Ugandan marine police officers at Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. /FILE

Three Kenyan fishermen from Kiwa Island in Suba South have been arrested and taken to Tanzania for constant border row in Lake Victoria.

The fishermen are detained at Musoma police station in Tanzania after they were arrested by Tanzania security officials on Saturday night.

Dan Kireti, Victor Okello and Calvins Ouma also had their engine boat confiscated.

According to Homa Bay Beach Management Units chairman Edward Oremo, the Tanzanian officials also took away gears from the fishermen.

“The Tanzania security officers claimed our colleagues crossed the boundary when they were fishing. These are ways of gagging Kenyans fishermen from operating in the lake freely,” Oremo said.

Oremo yesterday said the harassment Kenyans fishermen have been continually subjected to by security officers from Tanzania and Uganda is improvising them.

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The BMU official said most of Kenyan fishermen live in fear.

“The security officers from Tanzania and Uganda normally attack, take fishing gears and catch from our fishermen. We’re losing a lot of property in the hands of foreigners,” he added.

The fishermen appealed to national government to find a lasting solution for the constant conflict between them and security officials from the two neighbouring countries.

Oremo said Kenyan Fishermen want harmonious work with their colleagues from the two countries in the lake but the security personnel are not ready.

“Kenyan fishermen are undergoing a lot of tribulations in the lake hence work environment is unwelcoming at all,” he said.

The incident comes barely one week seven Kenyan fishermen were arrested at detained at Sota beach in Tanzania.

“Let the three countries bordering the Lake Victoria to fast-track signing harmonious law to enable fishermen operate peacefully,” Oremo said.

Border row in Lake Victoria has been in the centre of conflict for long among Kenyan fishermen and security officers from Uganda and Tanzania.

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