President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Ugandan boss Yoweri Museveni to restrain his soldiers from harassing Kenyan fishermen until a commission established reviews the boundary between the two nations.
For the past few months, Kenyan fishermen in the Island have protested alleged oppression by Ugandan security forces with some claiming of assault and arrests.
Meeting in Mombasa on Wednesday, the two leaders discussed at length issues relating to security, border, and transport. President Uhuru said there would be more border posts between the neighbouring countries to facilitate movement and open up markets for the benefit of citizens.
“The Busia border post has served its purpose and we have witnessed more fruits from that entry point, but time has now come to open up more entry points along our borders,” he said noting that the move will also deal with illegal movements witnessed before between the two countries.
On Migingo Island, President Uhuru noted that a commission has been tasked to look at the entire length of the border to conclude the matter amicably. He noted that the two countries are also working on how to develop resources of Lake Victoria, which will also see fishing being done, is sustainable.
Museveni noted that the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Uganda would further improve trade between the two countries noting that once complete, it will only take a record 24 hours for goods to be transported from Mombasa to Kampala.
“It will be suicidal if the line between Mombasa to Uganda is not fast-tracked” he noted. He accepted President Uhuru’s invitation to ride on SGR from Mombasa to Nairobi on Thursday, a journey that will take less than five hours.
In 2011, Kenya first complained on Uganda's alleged invasion to it's waters but the Commission established by Museveni and Mwai Kibaki failed to reach an amicable solution to the predicaments.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at one point threatened Uganda of possible embargos over the territorial occupation by Uganda but the matter was partly handled by the EALA sitting in Arusha.
The Wednesday's meeting at Mombasa by the two leaders could now bring to a hault bitter rivalry between Nairobi and Kampala. Concurrently, Uhuru is also handling a border crisis between Uganda and Rwanda.