Kenyan fisherman shot dead, Ugandan missing

A Kenyan fisherman has been shot dead, while another is hospitalised following a shooting on Lake Victoria in Namayingo District by a Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier attached to the Fisheries Protection Unit.
 
The shooting, which occurred in Sigulu Island waters, close the Kenya-Uganda border on July 4, has also left a Ugandan missing. 
 
Mr Kipchumba Ruto, the Busia-Kenya County Commissioner, identified the deceased as Fred Mangeni Pamba, a fisherman from Port Victoria Landing Site in Western Kenya, while the injured is Dalas Igoma, who is nursing injuries at Port Victoria hospital.
 
The missing Ugandan has only been identified as Romano. 
 
Mr Ruto, told Monitor that: "The deceased fisherman was shot by the UPDF soldier whole inside his boat, a fisherman, who was in the company of the deceased is missing, while another is in hospital."
 
He further revealed that Kenya Police have arrested a Ugandan boat rider only identified as Mangeni, who was allegedly in the company of the soldier, after he swam and ended up at Port Victoria on the Kenyan side, adding that he faces murder charges.
 
The detained Ugandan, who is a civilian, was, according to sources, first held at Bunyala Central Police Station, before being transferred to the Busia-Kenya Police Station from where he was due to appear in Court. 
 
Sources privy to investigation add that the fishermen, who were five on a fishing boat that had Ugandans and Kenyans, allegedly attacked the lone soldier who was in the company of the boat rider. 
 
Following the shooting incident, Kenya and Uganda authorities held a meeting at the Ugandan side of the Busia border on Wednesday and resolved to end hostilities on Lake Victoria which is a shared resource. 
 
Mr Michael Kibwika, the Busia Resident District Commissioner, said two UPDF soldiers were arrested, including his immediate supervisor, and are being investigated over the shooting.
 
Both soldiers, Mr Kibwika said, were being held at an undisclosed location in Namayingo District. 
 
"Kenya and Uganda share a lot of common in terms of culture and trade; we shall not sit and watch when actions of individuals threaten the harmony between Kenya and Uganda," Mr Kibwika added. 
 
What caused scuffle?
 
A source says the scuffle started after the five fishermen on the boat that had Kenyans and Ugandans attacked the UPDF boat that had one soldier and the boat rider. 
 
"The fishermen are said to have used a stick to hit the boat rider prompting him to fall into the lake, and during the scuffle, the soldier, who was now stranded alone in the boat, opened fire, shooting dead one fisherman," the source said. 
 
The Ugandan fisherman who fell into the water is still missing up to now. 
 
Mr Benard Karugaba, an officer attached to the Fisheries Protection Unit, says they have started investigating what led to the shooting and where the incident occurred.
 
According to Mr Karugaba, lack of visible boundary marks between Kenya and Uganda on the Lake Victoria was partly responsible for the hostility. 
 
"We need to fasttrack the demarcation of boundaries between Kenya and Uganda so that whoever is on the lake should be able to tell whether he is in Uganda or Kenya," he suggested. 
 
Lake Victoria, which is shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, has been a major source of conflict involving Ugandans and Kenyans, especially on issues related to illegal fishing.
 
Shooting incidences, arrests involving the Fisheries Protection Unit and the Kenya Coast Guards have been common.
 
Whereas Uganda is operating a policy to curb illegal fishing, Kenya has undertaken a moderate policy, with the former for long accusing the latter of orchestrating illegal fishing on the lake. 
 
Mr Ruto, however, says they have agreed to a joint policy of stamping out illegal fishing activities on the lake, directing that only Kenya boats with lincenses from the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries are to be allowed to carry out fishing on the Ugandan side of the lake. 

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