Ruto and Raila demand end to fishermen harassment in Lake Victoria

President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga on Friday called for an end to the harassment of Kenyan fishermen on Lake Victoria, urging a lasting solution to the border dispute between Kenya and Uganda.

Speaking at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay during the President’s tour of Nyanza on Friday, the two leaders condemned continued attacks and arrests of Kenyan fishermen by Ugandan authorities, saying it was time to clearly mark the boundary to avoid conflict.

"Uganda has brought in marines in the lake to harass our citizens; we should also bring our marines," Raila said.

"This (border dispute) is a contentious issue that we need to take up with Uganda so that it is resolved. We don’t see any reason why our fishermen should be harassed when they just crossed the border. We need to agree with Uganda so that we know where the border is."

Raila also linked the ongoing tensions to historical events, recalling the border claims by former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

"Idi Amin, in his madness, said the border is in Naivasha, that situation is the cause of our problems," he said.

President Ruto supported Raila’s position and said the government would take steps to clearly define the international boundary between the two nations.

"We will take advice given to us by Raila to ensure we establish the right boundary so that we avoid unnecessary conflicts," Ruto said.

He added that his administration had already begun talks with neighbouring countries to resolve the matter.

"We have serious security issues as a result of our neighbours. I did send Minister (for Blue Economy) Hassan Joho to engage his counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania. There is currently a conversation that is going on so that we can give uniform licence for all our fishermen to avoid what is going on at the moment," the President said.

The remarks by Ruto and Raila come amid rising tension in the region, where fishermen from Kenya and Uganda have clashed over fishing areas and border violations.

Some of the Kenyan fishermen have been assaulted and detained while working in the disputed parts of the lake.

The two leaders also raised concerns over violent fights among local fishing groups, which have sometimes resulted in death.

"There is a lot of insecurity on our waters, between different groups of fishermen. Some of the fights occur when rogue groups fish in these areas (common fish breeding grounds)," Ruto said.

"We are working with the Coast Guard so that we have a sustainable surveillance mechanism of our waters."

Raila condemned the violence among local fishermen, saying it must stop.

"This is stupid, we should not allow this. It is shameful that our fishermen are fighting and killing each other over fish," he said.

Ruto is on a multi-day tour of Nyanza, where he is launching a series of development projects.

He was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries John Mbadi (Treasury), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), and governors Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), and James Orengo (Siaya), among other leaders.