Kenyans living around the Migingo island are reported to be fleeing from the place after the area assistant chief was arrested by Ugandan police.
This has sent more panic to Kenyans who now fear harassment from the Ugandan government.
Last week, Uganda policemen arrested two Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials who were registering voters in the area. The Ugandan government said they had not received any formal communication from the Kenyan government concerning the ongoing voter registration in the area. This led to the stop of the registration process for a while.
The IEBC officials were later released. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had earlier told the government to settle the issue before 48 hours. The party called on the government to deploy KDF soldiers in the island for security purposes.
Pressure has mounted on the government by the public demanding for the clarification of who owns the island. Both Kenya and Uganda say they own the island. This has created confusion since Uganda fishermen want to control fishing in the island while the Kenyan government want to show that they are in charge of fishing in the Migingo island.