Kibiro: The border community that lives off salt and fish

Time check is 5pm and there is a bright and sparkling reflection on the waters after being hit by the sun that is soon setting to the other side of the lake.

This is on the Lake Albert waters on the Ugandan border with Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, nearby, is Kibiro village, Kigorobya sub -county in Hoima district and approximately 30 kilometres North of Hoima town in Bunyoro sub region.

According to the areas Local Council one chairman Godfrey Abigaba, the name Kibiro(forest) was coined out of earlier hunters who came found a forest and settled there.

Abigaba says people in Kibiro live off only fish and salt mining to earn a living.

“The women do the salt mining whereas the men fish in Mwitanzige(L.Albert),”he says.

“There is no farming or any other activity in the area. If we want any other thing, we trade it with the fish and salt with the nearby communities.”

Salt Mining

The salt in Kibiro is got from soil which is dug from a ‘muntero’ which means a salt plot  by women before being spread to dry for between a week and two before the next process is done.

The soil is however never allowed to be hit by rain while on the drying area or else the salt will be of a poor quality.

“The dried soil is scooped, put into a saucepan with holes, water is poured into it and sieved. The water is then collected into another clean saucepan after which it is put on the fire place,” says Philder Kirokimu, one of the women involved in salt mining.

She adds that the water is boiled until it evaporates and what remains in the saucepan is the salt which is then put around the fire place to dry before being sold.

“We  then sell and get income to run households and paying for school fees for our children Each block goes between shs8000 and 10,000 depending on the weather,” says Abigaba.

He says that during the rainy season the price for salt increases because there is no sun to dry it and hence the work being slow.

The locals also boast of having  the most sought after salt in the area and in turn attracts huge amounts of money .They say their salt is so unique because it is not iodised attracting a big market even from as far as DRC.

Fishing

According to the areas chairman, men in Kibiro do the fishing to supplement women’s incomes.

The men get boats and go out on fishing expeditions before the fish is sold to the nearby communities including Kigorobya town, which is seven kilomtres away from Kibiro village.

“Because the people in Kigorobya don’t have fish and salt, we sell what we produce to them to provide us with what we don’t have,”Abigaba says.

He adds that salt mining and fishing and the only two activities the areas that boasts of over 900 people are engaged in to earn a living.

Challenges

Kirokimu narrates that all would be well with the salt mining activity had it not been with some of the processes.

“The salt takes a lot of time and firewood to get ready yet the forests are scarce. We always find a hard time especially during times of rain,” she adds.

Being near L.Albert , a rift valley lake whose waters are salty, Kibiro grapples with drinking water plus water for other uses including cooking.

“Because cooking the water from L.Albert takes a lot of time and firewood to be ready, the only cheap option we use is water from Kigorobya town which is seven kilometres away,” says Abigaba, the area chairman.

“We buy each jerrican of water at two thousand shillings.”

Congolese fishermen

The area chairman however notes that Congolese fishermen have become a menace by always attacking them while fishing and loot their catch.

“On many occasions they invade us, steal our nets and engines. They arrest our people and to release them, the Congolese demand for over three million shillings or else they kill them,”Agaba adds.

He notes that the Congolese on many occasions shoot and kill local people.