The bright Friday morning sun exposes the buzzing activities at Lake Victoria’s Uhanya Beach in Usigu, Siaya County.
As one fishing boat after another docks, women and men scramble for space around it, clutching plastic basins.
As per the daily catch, each or some of them manage to get a share at a fee, before they jump to the next boat.
This continues for close to three hours, when all boats have arrived. As the men and women leave the beach with their fish, all smiles, the boat owners are also left smiling with notes of Kenyan currencies. Everything here seems to be in place.
However, beneath the smiles are bleeding souls of fishermen and boat owners whose guarantee for daily catch depend on the mercy of Ugandan forces who have literally taken control of the lake.
‘To date, I have lost gears for over 30 fishing boats, costing not less than Sh1.4 million. It pains, and I ask myself if we really have a share of the lake’ joyce akinyi
Joyce Akinyi owns 20 boats plying fishing trade in this lake. She has been here for the past 17 years.
When Lake Region Bulletin team visited the beach on one Friday morning in July 2024, she was a distraught woman.
Two of her boats had been detained by Ugandan forces in Lolwe Island, and she was seeking for Sh60, 000 to pay for the release of her boats.
“This is the norm. When boats are detained, you pay Sh30, 000 fine for each, or else it disappears for good,” she said.
Today, she says, to launch a fishing expedition, one spends Sh130, 000 on a boat, Sh240, 000 on engine, Sh38, 000on net, Sh2, 000 on battery, Sh2, 000 on torch, Sh20, 000 on fuel, and other assorted fishing equipment.
A single arrest means massive loss to the boat owners, as even after paying that fine, she will lose other fishing gears except the boat and the engine.
“To date, I have lost gears for over 30 fishing boats, costing not less than Sh1.4 million. It pains, and I ask myself if we really have a share of the lake,” she says.
No clear boundary
Naftali Omondi is the Vice Chair of Uhanya Beach Management Unit (BMU).
For years, he has been at the centre of the rescue missions of boats confiscated by the Ugandan forces.
According to Omondi, Kenyan forces do not conduct patrols in the lake, a situation which has given the Ugandans an opportunity to stamp their authority.
He says the beach which is home to over 700 fishing boats report approximately 20 cases of arrest every week.
“This beach alone loses over Sh1.5 million to Ugandan soldiers in the lake. It has become very difficult for Kenyan fishermen to operate in this lake. As we speak, over 30 boats are grounded here because they do not have the gears to enable them get to the lake, courtesy of this menace,” he said.
He added: “When we attend cross border meetings on how to cooperate and work together, things seem to be well, but as soon as we disperse, reports of arrests begin.”
Omondi says Uhanya Beach is home to over 500 fishermen operating above 700 fishing boats. The beach supports at least 6, 000 people, trading on fish and related products, or working in the boats and the supporting economy.
“While there are no Kenyan authorities patrolling the lake, Ugandans have the Marine, the revenue, the army, the ordinary police and the fisheries officers all over. If you miss one team, the next team is with you,” said Omondi.
His sentiments are echoed by Nyenye-Misori BMU Chair Daniel Odero who is also the chairman of a network of 16 beaches in West Yimbo Location.
“Any time fishermen arrests are reported, we have to take lead and negotiate for their release, as our government officers rarely intervene,” said Odero.
He added; “Currently, Uganda has banned dagaa fishing, and this has escalated the arrest of our fishermen who ply that trade in the lake, despite not crossing over to Ugandan side.”
Jail terms in Uganda
Walter Opondo is one of the fishermen at Uhanya Beach, and in July 2023, he was among the four Kenyan fishermen who were arrested and charged in Ugandan court.
“When they arrest you and you can’t get the fine in time, they take you to Ugandan courts, and this makes it worse for you,” he said.
In his case, this was the third time he was facing arrest, but the first time he made it to Ugandan courts, where he was found guilty of charges related to fishing in Ugandan waters without authority.
He was sent to jail, where he spend four months before kins traced him, and paid Sh130, 000 fine to release him and his colleagues.
“I didn’t record any statement. I didn’t have any defense representation, and I had nothing. It was my word against theirs,” he said.
Two weeks prior to our interview with him, Tobias Otieno, another fisherman had just been a victim of the arrest.
“I was detained at Lolwe Island for a whole day. Luckily, my people managed to raise money to pay for my fine,” he said.
He added: “It feels like we are a source of income to them, because every time they arrest us, the claim is that we are in their waters even if we are on our side. If we had our officers patrol, it would be clear to us where the real boundary is.”
Consolata Nabwire has been in the fishing business for ten years. Today, she has two boats, which have been arrested several times.
“Two weeks ago I had to part with Sh26, 000 to get back one of my boats. It looks like we make money and surrender to them,” she said.
Government doing something
John Mwaura, Usigu Assistant County Commissioner admits that there has been a challenge as cases of arrests are always reported.
He however says the government is working on a program that will sort out the matter once and for all.
According to Mr Mwaura, one of the interventions is setting up Coast Guard centre at Mageta Island.
“We have already identified land for setting up the centre, and from there, the Coast Guards will be closely monitoring the activities in the lake and patrolling to ensure safety of fisherment and adherence to necessary regulations guiding the trade,” he said.
Mwaura noted that in additon to this, the government is working on establishing regular crossboder sports and cultural activities which would help build a bond between the countries sharing the lake.
“Already, through our chiefs, we are working on the designing this, and we are looking at launching it soon,” said Mwaura, adding that the initiative will help diffuse tension between the different countries.
He however noted that there are reports of Kenyan fishermen working with unscrupulous Ugandan officers to set up their fellows.
