UGANGAN SECURITY SENSILESSLY AND MERCYLESSLY BEAT UP KENYAN FISHERMEN IN MIGINGO ISLAND FOR REFUSING TO DISH OUT BRIBERY MONEY

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The security and safety of Kenyan fishermen operating on the disputed Migingo Island is getting worse day by day under Uganda occupation forces.

Within only two days after the Ugandan Opposition leader Dr. Kizza Basigye had launched a scathing criticism on the government for its poor handling of Migingo Island saga, came the disturbing news of well coordinated assault on Kenyan fishermen.

.Report emerging from Migingo Island says that last Thursday,ten Ugandan security personnel patrolling pounced on eight Kenyan fishermen and beat them up senselessly. The fishermen sustained serious bodily injuries and were later taken to mainland at Muhuru Bay Trading Centre for medical treatment..

The beating took place for several hours. The fishermen were flushed out of their make shift houses hardened in one building and senselessly clobbered for several hours. Some of the victims sustained injures in their foreheads, abdomen,chest,limbs , arms and leg, requiring stitches.

One fisherman Robert Otieno is suspected to have a broken jaw and travelled to Migori to seek further medical attention. His colleagues says, his injuries might require further surgery. Seven of the victims received treatment at Muhuru Bay.

The eight fishermen, it is being alleged, were pulled out of their houses and clobbered for several hours after they were accused of failing to honor cross border fishing regulation

The informed sources, however, disputed the allegation, hinting that the fishermen might have met their problem after refusing to part with bribery money. Ugandan occupation forces on Migingo island had imposed a levy of Kshs 5,000 on each and every fisherman working on the island. The money is payable after every two weeks.

They further stated,” Whoever fail to abide by this new regulation is harassed and barred from fishing near the disputed Migingo Island. Soon after the injured fishermen were ferried to the Mainland for treatment, their colleagues phoned journalist about the incident.

There is no Kenyan security men stationed on in the disputed island, though provisional agreement recently worked out by the two countries stipulated that each government should post its security personnel to carry out joint patrolling of the island. Kenya has, however, posted none.

Kenyan fishermen maintained that the levies imposed on them were illegal, because the Ugandan security men take cash money, but issued no receipt to account for the cash money they had received, and the fishermen suspected them of pocketing the levy cash.

Migingo Beach Management Unit, Mr. Juma Ombori strongly protested against the incident, saying that those Kenyan who were savagely beaten up by security men had not committed any fishing offence, therefore the attack was unprovoked and unwarranted.

Mrf. Ombori appealed to Ugandan authorities to take drastic disciplinary action against the officers involved in the unprovoked assault on Kenyan fishermen

This particular incident has heightened tension between the majority Kenyan fishermen and their minority Ugandan colleagues operating on the island. The Ugandan security men want everybody fishing near Migingo Island to pay Kshs 5,000 irrespective whether such a person is operating inside Kenyan territorial waters or not..

The physical attack on Kenyan fisherman has elicited sharp reaction from Kenyan politicians who have incessantly appealed to President Mwai Kibaki to use force to ensure that the Ugandan occupation forces are driven out of the disputed Kenyan island. A motion tot his effect was recently passed by Parliament.

President Kibaki, however, has maintained that his government would continue pursuing the issue actively through diplomatic channels.

Ends

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Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:54:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: UGANDAN SOLDIERS BEAT UP KENYAN FISHERMEN IN MIGINGO ISLAND