Ugandan police officers are holding three Kenyan fishermen. The trio was arrested in Lake Victoria while fishing on Sunday under unclear circumstances.
Suba South Sub-county Beach Management Unit Chairman William Onditi has confirmed the incident.
Kenyan authorities attempted to plead with the officers to release the fishermen, who hail from Nyandiwa Beach in Suba South Sub County, but their effort didn’t bear fruits at the end of the day. The police have accused them of trespass following the arrest.
The police later took them to Hama Island in Uganda where they are currently being held pending a probe into the matter before they are charged in court.
The security officers also confiscated the fishermen’s boats as well as fishing gears during the incident. The police also went ahead to arrest other fishermen from Sare Beach before confiscating boats valued at Sh400,000.
Onditi has since lamented over the manner in which the Ugandan police are handling Kenyans on the borders.
He said that the police are known for their brutal nature. He asked Kenyan fishermen not to cross their water boundaries in the name of fishing even when the season is too low.
“Harassment of Kenyan fishermen has become rampant in Lake Victoria. We appeal for urgent intervention by the Government for a long term solution into this problem,” said Onditi, as quoted by Standard.