The Kenyan fishermen from Remba Island in Suba North constituency who were arrested and detained by Ugandan Security personnel have been released this morning after paying a joint fine of Sh.60, 000 to Ugandan Authorities.
The fishermen were released after spending three days and nights at Hama Island where they were arrested on Friday evening by Ugandan officers who also confiscated their two boats and fishing gears of unknown value over alleged trespass, use of illegal fishing nets and packing ice in their boats contrary to Ugandan fishing regulations.
The move to release the six together with their fishing gears were reached upon after the area Beach Management Unit (BMU) leadership negotiated with the Ugandan authority.
According to Remba Island BMU Chairperson, Semekiah Okoth Mamra, the amount was raised by the boat owners whose boats were seized by the Uganda authorities, adding that the officers fined two boats each Sh.30,000 totalling Sh.60,000.
Mamra said that they negotiated for the release of the six fishermen today to avoid being taken to court since the security personnel were planning to handover the fishermen to the Ugandan Revenue Authority (URA) officers.
He appealed to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiang’i to fulfill his promise to mobilize resources to help protect Kenyans fishermen on Lake Victoria against harassment from Ugandan and Tanzanian Authorities.
This comes barely a week after a similar incident occurred in the same island which leaves the residents with many questions on their security in the lake.
By Godwine Ochieng/Davis Langat
