BY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER.
KENYA’S Prime minister Raila Odinga’s move to attend presidential campaigns in Uganda on Wednesday this week has received protests from residents of the disputed Migingo Island who perceived the visit as a show of support to the country’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The residents said for a long time they have looked up to Raila to use his position in government to help them resolve the boundary row, between Kenya and Uganda, which has seen the two east Africa states spend huge a mounts of money to reevaluate the boundary to end squabbles, pitting the Kenya fishermen residing at the tiny island against the Ugandan authorities, in vain.
Led by beach management unit officials at the island, the Kenyan fishermen said the presence of the prime minister was a huge disappointment and a let down for them, adding they have realised they have all along been hanging their hopes on false illusion.
”It is a pity to see a man we have hoped to be the one to come to our aid in ending the persistent harassment at the island can visit and campaign alongside the very government that has visited pain and suffering to poor Kenyans living at the island. We are really disillusioned. It is like our leaders have secret agendas which we do not know but pretend to back efforts to resolve the controversy over Migingo.” said one of the bitter leaders.
Currently. reports from the island indicates that fishermen collects up to 150,000 daily from the fish landed at the Island which they then hand over to the Ugandan marine police patrolling the island. The fishermen also take care of the officersm in terms of feeding and accommodation daily, even though they do not support continued stay of the Ugandans.
The fishermen have on several occasions complained of persistent harassment, in the hands of the Ugandan police, whom they they accused also of taking away their catch and fishing gears worth thousands of shillings.
On many occasions the Kenyan fisherman have pleaded with their government to intervene, but such pleas have been largely ignored, with the local government representatives only accusing the fishermen of violating Kenyan waters.
Even though Raila was quoted as pushing, during the Museveni rallies at Iganga in Eastern Uganda and Kigulu, for a stronger cooperation with Kenya within the EAC, many residents of Migingo continued to raise doubts over whether regional integration will materialise.
Speaking after a meeting with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni at the state lodge in Jinja on Wednesday, the PM said close relations between Kenya and Uganda could quicken the consolidation of unity among the East African Community states.
The PM said the days of borders between the East African States are numbered, saying the region is moving towards a federation, and Uganda and Kenya could lead the way.
Raila has also been viewed as a rival of Museveni, and unconfirmed reports claimed foreign forces took part in the post election chaos that rocked Kenya, and was murky in Kisumu city where several youths were executed.
But during his visit Raila, said he admired the progress Uganda has achieved since the end of the brutal era of Idi Amin, and Kenya has something to learn on post -war integration.
He called for peaceful elections in February, saying a stable and a peaceful Uganda is good for Kenya.
” I call upon all Ugandans to uphold peace during the elections. Let us maintain the cordial relations between the two countries”, Raila was quoted as saying by the PM press service.
The two leaders committed to forge closer ties, with Museveni describing Raila as ”a brother in the struggle” while the PM acknowledged the support he received from the Ugandan president during the struggle for the second liberation in Kenya.
ENDS.
May be Agwambo has more energy than he need and wish to dispense of it at political arenas. He may also be a campaign maniac who wish the game continues endlessly. He should however remember that his every move is analysed very carefully to gauge what he stands for.
Good people of Migingo should be patient and understand that politics is not always a straight line. Sometimes it forces you to sleep with very strange bedfellows. It is the only game where the end justifies the mean.
Everyone knows what Museveni has done to the Luos in Uganda, and not forgetting his recent ‘Luos are mad’ SLUR
Raila is campigning for the slick Yoweri Kaguta Museveni?? THAT IS INSANITY! Its a diversion Kenyans!!!
http://csis.org/multimedia/video-interview-us-ambassador-kenya-michael-e-ranneberger
There is a dangerous power vacuum in Kenya as we speak and foreign war-lords are driving trucks through that vacuum. By the time Kenyans realize about what is going on, they will be heading for Kibera-like slums dwelling if they are lucky! Kenya’s land is being acquired right under the noses of the citzens. The elites who should tbe taking care of Kenyan business are under political siege from these same foreign corporate war-lords!!!! A lot of horrific policies are inflicted by these corporate war-lords when their is a power vacuum! Political parties are fighting with one another and are not aware of the damage being done to the Kenya as a Nation!!!!! WAKE UP!!!
Where did the survey money go and what was it used for?????????. For some one who have followed this issue from the beginning, your politicians have sold this Island to Uganda and they will never tell you. Remember what your chief of Armed forces Staff said at the beginning … ” Migingo is not worth fighting for”. Luos on this Island and in this region,…you are own your own. You can address Mr. Oginga with all nick names but he and Kibaki have zero principals when it come to defending the territorial integrity of this country. So long as: Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and other major Cities are not invaded/ocupied by Musevini all is fine!!!.It is great shame to see country conceeding his territory for tribalisim and commercial reasons to another country.
On another subject, have you seen how your stupid..ass hole politicians behaving on” ICC Six by Ocampo”. Listen to what your Minister of justice Mr. Kilonzo is saying on this issue. I don’t think even Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Oginga have full understanding of the ICC statue..Oh..I forget they are politicians..they are not lawyers so they make statement they think the public want to hear of this issue!!.
To the six suspects and the politicians who support them I say to you find good lawyers. Your: tribal, party followers and Kenya parliament/ government WILL NOT BAIL OR OR PROVIDE COVER FOR YOU FROM PROSECUTION. I double/triple dare your politicians and your government to pull out of ICC today and this Six will never leave this country they will be hunted down like lost donkeys/mules by ICC for arrest.
To Mr. Isack Ruto, I don’t know where you went to school and what you studied ( but law is not of the subject you may have studied) You are one of demented/ demagogue poiticians I have ever come across in this country. When you say ” Kenya parliament has the power ” to make and unmake laws”…according to the new con fully , you will find out the the government of Kenya is bound by international treaties and ICC is one of them!!!. Yes, Parliament has the power to make laws but these same aws MUST be constitutional. The days of Presidential decrees are gone!!.
It is even funny now to hear Mr. Kibaki saying that the” Six are innocent” before proven guilty..which is TRUE!!! I wonder if the same consideration could have been extended to Kenyans who lost their lives during:Moi and Kenyatta regimes when they were arrested for anything in this country????????.
Those who are now for Local tribunal,…I got news for you. The only advantage/benefit for local tribunal is that it will save these six traveling expenses to the Haugue. The so- called Local tribunal will be staffed by international judges and the current charges against the Six will still remain the same. The ICC is not jury trial where: Kimani, Otieno Wamalwa, Oli Tip, will be members of the jury in the court of Gicheru to rule for their own!!!!!!!.
Yes, your MPS can come home now and lie to their people that Kenya will pull out of ICC because they have voted..but nothing from the truth. The your six are headed for trial at ICC!!!. Again, for anybody who is serious about this Issue in this country, listen to your justice Minister Mr. Kilonzo. Don’t waste your precious time listening to your wind bags politicians…they don’t know what they are talking about on the ICC