Africa-Press – Kenya. Fishermen at Sindo beach in Suba South constituency on Thursday staged a demo to protest the killing of a colleague during a fishing expedition in Lake Victoria.
The fishermen said Ugandan security officials shot dead Okinyi Nguka in the lake.
Nguka, 28, and three other fishermen left Sindo on Wednesday evening for a fishing expedition near Ringiti Island. They fished the whole night.
At around 7am on Thursday the fishermen were waylaid and arrested by security officers less than 10 meters from Ringiti Island as they headed back to Sindo.
“Fracas started in the lake after the officers tried to stop them but they declined. One of the officers shot Nguka,” one of the protesters said.
The security officers are said to be from Lolwe Island in Uganda.
Homa Bay county Beach Management Units chairman Edward Oremo said the officers threw Nguka’s body into the lake.
“The officers and fishermen also fought over the body of Nguka. The fishermen wanted to ferry the body to dry land but the officers grabbed it and threw it into the lake,” he said.
The security officers also confiscated seven boats from other fishermen.
Mbita subcounty police commander Stanley Atavachi confirmed the incident.
“We’re reaching out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle such matters,” he said.
Oremo urged the national government to find a permanent solution to the harassment of Kenyan fishermen by Ugandan authorities.
“We need to have a good working relationship between our fishermen and our neighbours. Let’s have a serious discussion and a permanent solution,” he said.
The protesters demanded the government take action against the Ugandan security officers.
They also asked the Kenya Coast Guard Service to help them retrieve Nguka’s body.
“It is very sad that our people are harassed in the lake to the point of losing a life. We want the government to rescue us,” Caleb Abul said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
