Returning fishermen who were being detained by Tanzanian forces have made revelations about the terrible ordeals they underwent in the hands of the Tanzanian police.
The group of six was arrested three months ago over allegedly crossing into the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria and using illegal fishing gear, specifically fishing nets.
They arrived back in the country on Sunday and were received at the Kanyakire Beach in Nyatike sub-county on Sunday, but are now claiming that they were tortured in Tanzania.
They raised allegations of being forced to go for long hours without food and at times being forced to eat raw fish.
"We were forced to spend a night or a day without food. On some days, were forced to eat raw fish. It was really hard living in the Tanzanian cell. We are happy to come back home today,” Jared Okoth, one of them, told the Nation.
They are now asking for government protection, and are requesting for intervention from the government claiming that their gear was destroyed, rendering them jobless.
"Our people need security. We pay taxes to the government and we don’t know why we are suffering. These people need compensation. Their boats were exposed to direct sunlight for three months and they cannot use them anymore because they are leaking," Opiyo Otiwa, another freed fisherman said.
The three were being held at Musoma Police Station since their arrest in November and were released after paying up the Ksh200, 000 fine demanded by Tanzania.