Busia women Representative Catherine Omanyo have scaled up measures to mitigate increasing loss of lives in the Lake Victoria among the fishermen by launching an advocacy for the safety of lake travels.
Speaking at Marenga Beach in Bundalangi where she met and donated life jackets to fishermen in effort to enhance their safety and security in the Lake Victoria, Omanyo noted that each year an estimated 300 people drown on Lake Victoria as a result of lack of safety precaution equipment’s and awareness.
“Busia County is home to over 10,000 fishermen, who depend on the Lake for their survival. However, earning a living on the lake pauses a huge risk which require urgent interventions to mitigate impending calamities,” said Omanyo.
The legislature noted that beside fishermen having first hand skills which are inherent in most cases, there is need for the fishermen along Lake Victoria to undergo training on safety measures and the use of modern equipment to avert danger in case the boats capsize in the lake.
“Most fishermen in Busia acquired their skills through observation and basic training from their mentors who were also not equipped on safety precaution measures,” she noted.
Omanyo added that, “saving a sinking boat filled to the brim with desperate people who cannot swim involves a lot of risks and is a dangerous operation.”
The law-maker challenged the Beach Management Units to ensure all boat users are inducted on basic safety measures to prevent calamities in case of eventualities. She called on the BMU to ensure strict safety rules like safety jackets are adhered to for all in the lake.
“We continue to loose lives as a result of weak policies and rules in the water bodies. You find someone sitting in the boat or ship without and safety measure gadget. This is risk and should not be encouraged irrespective of your experience in the lake,” Omanyo said.
The sentiment which was echoed by Marenga Beach chairman Mr. Godfrey Ogutu, who urged Kenya Coast Guards to contact regular inspection of all boats to uncertain their mechanical conditions and safety measures installed in place.
“We have lost many innocent souls in the lake as a result of negligence and corruption where unworthy boats are being allowed to operate in the lake with no precaution measures in place,” said Ogutu.
Ogutu urged the government through Kenya Cast guards and BMU to ensure fishermen undergo through training and assessment to ascertain their level of fitness before being allowed into the lake.
“Some people are pushed into being fishermen as a result of hard economic times and high rates of unemployment. This should never be the case as one need skills to save their lives and others before going into fishing,” he added.
The fishermen who spoke to KNA revealed that finding life jackets on Kenyan market is not easy as the few available are expensive and not to the standard.
According to experts, that travelers weighing more than 70 kilograms are not safe wearing a life jacket meant for 45- 60 kilograms. Most of the life jackets on the market carry the latter weight category putting those who use them at risk.
David Ouma, a fisherman from Musoma said government should sensitise the public about the need to wear life jackets while on the water and ensure adequate supply and affordability of the same to coast guards’ units for easy accessibility.
The fishermen urged the legislature to engage with Busia county leadership and national government to revisit the issues of double taxation to ensure the sustainable development of this critical economic sector.
“We are urging you madam to champion for harmonization of the taxes for us as fishermen. We have seen this sector being crippled with tax increase from sh200 to sh2000 which has had negative consequences on lives of many fishermen’s.”
Omanyo also donated reflector jackets to bodaboda operators in Bunyala subcounty before visiting victims of floods who are still in the camp donating 10 iron sheets to over 200 affected household.
By Absalom Namwalo
