President William Ruto, Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the Blue Economy Conference at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay on Friday, May 30, 2025/PCS
Speaking during the Blue Economy Conference at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay on Friday, May 30, 2025, the ODM leader said Kenya is losing too many lives in the lake.
“We need the choppers here like yesterday—we are losing our people unnecessarily in the lake,” Raila appealed to President William Ruto.
“We need
helicopters so that fishermen can be rescued before they drown. As a country,
we must be proactive.”
Raila said that many fishermen have died in Lake Victoria due to the absence of rapid response technology.
Maritime and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, who spoke earlier at the same conference, assured residents that a rescue helicopter would be delivered soon.
At the same time, Raila decried the continued harassment of fishermen on the lake, allegedly by Ugandan marine officers, calling the situation unacceptable.
“We should also have our marine officers in the lake to ensure that our fishermen are not harassed unnecessarily,” Raila said.
He also urged local fishermen to maintain harmony, noting that deaths have occurred during violent confrontations over fishing rights.
"Our fishermen are killing each other in the lake because of fish—this is stupid, and we must not allow it,” he said.
The ODM leader added that deploying helicopters and Kenyan marine officers would help address these challenges and restore order in Lake Victoria’s waters.
Raila also raised concerns over foreign nationals fishing in Kenyan waters along the Indian Ocean, allegedly at the expense of local fishermen.
“We have Koreans and Japanese fishing in the Indian Ocean, and we’re doing nothing about it. This must end,” he said.
Raila appealed to President Ruto to put in measures to protect local fishermen in the high seas and Lake Victoria, saying Kenyans are being harassed.
