FRESH ROW HAS ERUPTED BETWEEN KENYA AND UGANDA OVER KAMPALA’S REINFORCEMENT OF MORE SECURITY PATROL PERSONNEL ON MIGINGO ISLAND IN LAKE VICTORIA
News Analysis By Leo OIdera Omolo.
Fresh diplomatic row is in the offing, following claims that Uganda has brought aboard on the disputed Migingo Island 17 more new marine police officers, to reinforce the contingent which has been there for the last twenty months.
Thre Ugandans are said to be demanding payment of Kshs 500 per day from each Kenyan fishing boat operating on the island. The money is said to be a levy payment for security patrolling, to meet the fuel cost and other overhead expenses incurred by the Ugandan authorities.
Preliminary research revealed that Kenyan fishermen have about 200 or slightly more fishing boats stationed on the disputed island. If all are made to pay Kshs 500 per day, the Uganda revenue authority would mint close to Kshs 120,000 per day in revenue collection from this island, which Kenyan fishermen believe and view as part and parcel of Kenya.
The disputed island is said to be rich in fish, especially the economically important Nile perch.
Statistics made available to us show that Kenyan fishermen are landing between 10 and 12 tons of Nile perch on the island on a daily basis, which when translated into cash money, according to the current high prices of fish, is amounting to over Kshs One million per day.
The bulk of the catches are transported overland to the mainland fish processing plants in Kisumu, Migori, Homa-Bay, Nairobi and Mombasa,and for eventual exports of fishing fillets to European Union countries, Middle East, Japan, Israel and the US.
Ugandan fish merchants are also making purchases and transporting their catches to Kampala for the processing plants, sparking cutthroat business competition for the Lake Victoria resources by the two countries.
The Ugandan marine police based on Migingo Island have told Kenya fishermen that they either pay for the levy charged or they will be forcefully evicted from the disputed fishing island.
This harsh directive issued by Ugandan marine police prompted a group of fishermen to travel to Nyatike District Commissioner’s Office early this week where they sought to know whether Migingo Island is in Kenya territorial waters or in a foreign country. The fishermen said they were tired with the consistent harassment and extortion by the Ugandan security personnel.
Dispute over the ownership of the one acre rocky island was the subject of intensive diplomatic thaw between the two countries, and even at one time posed a serious threat to the existence of the much touted East African Community {EAC}.
However, the tension was calmed down when the two countries agreed to establish a joint survey work, by teams of experts from the two sister states of the EAC. The survey work was to look into century old records of the British colonialists. But somewhere in the midway, the Uganda’s team of surveyors abruptly walked out of the work, saying it needed to consult Kampala before resuming its work.
The joint survey was to cost a colossal amount of Kshs 240 million. Each country had agreed to contribute half of the required amount. The Kenyan team continued with its work and completed its side, but the report is yet to be made public. The two teams of surveyors are supposed to compared their notes and agree in principles. But the issue seems to be lingering for too long, before the much awaited landmark decision is made public.
Historically, Ugandan authorities have so far annexed eight islands inside Lake Victoria, which were previously part of Kenya. In early 1970s Field Marshall Idi Amin Dada seized Sigulu Island, the largest and most important of all the islands, with a population of close to 10,000, mainly of Banyala [Luhyia origin} and others from Suba region, particularly from the twin islands of Rusinga and Mfangano, and Luo residents, mainly from locations like Sakwa Bondo, Uyoma and Yimbo locations.
Sigulu is rich with fertile and productive land, indigenous trees, some of them as old as over 100 years, which carpentry artisans used as timber for the construction of durable fishing boats, particularly “MvuleTree’ that soaks in water like rubber.
The Kenyan residents of Sigulu have since the early 1970s became naturalized Ugandan citizen, and have their representatives in Ugandan Parliament as well as in other local authorities in Samia Bugwe and Bugiri districts of Eastern Uganda. The Kenyan government, then led by the founding President, the late Jomo Kenyatta, did not lodge any diplomatic protest, and the matter went quietly like that. The seizure of Sigulu has since divided many Banyala people into two countries, with some of the kin remaining at Port Victoria on the Kenyan mainland, while half of their families became Ugandan citizen against their wishes.
The former Budalangi MP and long serving cabinet Minister, Hon James Osogo was the only lone voice that protested against the annexation of Sigulu Island by the Ugandan authorities, but he received no backing and support from his fellow Luhyias and other Kenyan MPs during those days of KANU regime.
Kenyan fishermen claim to have lost million of shillings to the Uganda officers, who have been patrolling the controversial fishing island ever since 2004. They have lost fishing gears like outboard engines, fishing nets, boats and catches. The petty kiosks and small shops traders claim to have lost goods, either confiscated or consumed by Ugandan security men without paying any cent to the traders.
Last year a Ugandan policeman shot and seriously wounded a Kenyan fisherman, who was involved in a fight with a fellow Ugandan fishermen, and the Kenyan survived as he was rushed for treatment on the mainland at a hospital in Muhuru Bay.
If Kenyan fishermen are forced out of Migingo Island, some of the fish processing plants in Kenya will closed down with the loss of hundreds of jobs, and money in foreign exchange earnings. The country is minting close to Kshs 8 billion mainly from export of fish in foreign exchange earnings.
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