Fishermen in Bondo sub-county now want the government to reinstate the border patrol police on the waters of Lake Victoria to help in addressing persistent cases of insecurity on the lake.
Uhanya Beach Management Unit (BMU) officials led by Chairman Peter Opado Ogutu said rampant cases of attacks and harassment of Kenyan fishermen by Ugandan forces has increased in the recent past.
Ogutu said that this is happening as a result of the recent withdrawal of the border patrol officers who had been manning the lake, hence the need for them to be reinstated.
The chairman who was speaking during the official inauguration of the recently elected BMU officials at Uhanya beach, renewed calls on the government to once again find a solution to the boundary dispute between Kenya and Uganda on the Lake Victoria waters.
Mr. Opado lamented that several Islands including Hama, Wayasi and Sumba have all been grabbed by Ugandan forces yet they all belong to Kenya and are being occupied by the Luo and Luhyia communities.
On his part, Uhanya BMU’s Vice Chairman Mr. George Achila decried the bad state of the road leading to the beach, together with the poor hygiene and sanitation standards in the region citing lack of a latrine and dumping site at the beach.
He has therefore impressed upon the County government of Siaya to move with speed and rectify the situation failing which they will be forced to stop remitting taxes.
The celebration was also attended by former Councilor Agrrey Dimo Ogola who concurred with them, noting that Siaya county government has done very little in terms of improving the beaches across the sub-county.
He challenged the county leadership to pull up their socks, lamenting that the only thing they have done is to increase taxes and license fees but no improvements have been done at the beaches which are major areas that give the county the highest revenue.
By Brian Ondeng’
