Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay,

FOLLOWING the much highlighted telephone exchanges between Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda over the disputed :Migingo : fishing island, the fishing activities have resumed in earnest along the eastern shore line of Lake Victoria.

Fishermen in volatile areas like Nyandiwa in Gwassi, Mfangano and Rusinga Islands, Ringiti, Kiwa, Remba, Lolwe, Oyamo have resumed their daily activities, though limiting their operating close to the mainland fearing going deep into the lake..

Traveller have reported that there were no signs that Ugandan authorities would quit the disuted island, and this could only be much later after the successes of the impending diplomatic talks.

Travelers have reported that the situation is still tense on Migingo Island, though the huge bulk of Ugandan soldiers have moved out and went back to their barracks in Bugiri district in eastern part of the country..

Kenyan Minister for Foreign Affairs Moses Wetangula issued the assurance statement at the weekend and said the two presidents were in constant contact and would soon find the way of solving the dispute, and asked local fishermen not to panic, but to go on with their daily businesses.

The Minister further disclosed that the two leaders had agreed to hold talks on the issue which has threatened to strain the diplomatic relations between the two sister nations.”The situation the island itself is calm and normal. So far there has never been any causalities, though hundreds of Kenyan fishermen have stormed out in fear of their safety.

Last Thursday and Friday the operation of Ugandan soldiers on the island had driven out hundreds of Kenyan fishermen, their dependants and petty kiosk traders selling soft drinks food etc..

Expert says the Island is an eight hours sailing on a boat to the mainland Uganda, while at some points, especially at Nyandiwa and Gwasii and also at Karungu Bay it could be reached within 40 minutes by bats. From Muhuru Bay point it take two hours sailing to the iland. Due to its closeness to the mainland Kenyan,, local people and fishermen alike believes it is part and parcel of Kenyan.

A bilateral negotiation between the two countries is expected to start soon. One diplomat has hinted that such negotiation could require the helping hand of an external eminent persons either from Africa and beyond. This us due to the nature of the dispute and fact that Ugandan authorities has in the recent past seized many small islands previously considered to be part of Kenyan, and even naturalized Kenyan citizens resident of those islands.

The captive Kenyans were forced to take up Ugandan citizenship against their will because they could not abandoned what has been their ancestral land for centuries. This is in reference to Singulu Island the most populous and the largest of all the islands in Lake Victoria. Sigulu had more than 5,000 Kenyans living on it when the late Idi Amin Dada confiscated it in 1976.

Some of the Kenyan fishermen who came ashore at Karungu-Bay claimed they were tortured by the Ugandan soldiers who robbed them of their money n fish catches at gun point. Edwin Opiyo and Paul Odhiambo landed at Karungu Bay on Saturday lae afternoon and claimed the Ugandan soldier had warned them that they would use helicopter to bomb and blew up the makeshift huts and houses erected by the Kenyan on the island

However, these claims were disowned by two women fish traders who arrived at Nyandiwa in Gwassi Division of Suba district who said they had left the disputed island on their own pm fear of possible exchange of fire between Uganda and Kenyan forces, but were never molested or threatened in anyway, adding that most of the youthful Uganda soldiers were friendly and not provocative in anyway.. Even when they disarmed the 12 Kenyan administration policemen last Thursday, they did not use force, but had negotiated with the Kenyans to surrender their small arms..

While a number of Kenyan MPs have called upon the Kenyan government to send troops to guard the island, local people believes tht armed confrontation wouldn not be of much help in the resolution of peace process. There is nothing at stake to warrant the deployment of Kenyan forces. If the Uganda want to occupyi the island let them have it, said one prominent Kenyan fishermen at Karungu. H added, aftr all it is Kenyan fishermen who are normally fishing and selling the fish catches to Ugandan. And even inside Ugandan territorial waters, the majority of fishermen are Kenyan immigrants

Mr.Omolo Opondo caused laughter when he said that Kenyan fishermen were also reported fish in Lakes Kioge, Lake Albert and hinterland lakes in both Uganda and Tanzania. They used to fish in River Kafue in Zabia and some other hinterland lakes in the region..

Th majority of fishermen maintained that Ugandan forces must leaves the fishing islands as their presence is hampering the fishing industry, which is fetches close to Kshs 8 billion annually in foreign exchange. Kenya exports its fish from the world second largest fresh water lake to the EU, Middle East, Japan and the US

Lke Victoria waters are chared between Kenyan, Tnzania and Uganda. Tanzania hs the lion’s share of 54 per cent, Uganda 42 and Kenya has the smallest share of only 6 per cent, hence the frequent harassment of her fishermen, especially when they go deep into the lake on the Ugandan or Tnzanian side of the lake.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:00:21 -0800 [09:00:21 AM CST]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: FISHING ACTIVITIES RESUMED IN LAKE VICTORIA AFTER KIBAKI AND MUSEVENI EXCHANGED REPORTED HEARTY PHONE MESSAGES