UPDF soldier, three others captured by Kenya police for arresting Kenyan fishermen

UPDF has confirmed that one of its own and three civilians have been captured and held hostage in Kenya while on duty on Lake Victoria.

According to UPDF’s statement, the four were arrested on Thursday December 23, as Uganda's Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) soldiers were trying to arrest a big group of Kenyan fishermen who had reportedly crossed to Uganda’s waters near Sagiti Island, Namayingo district.

“FPU crew of six (6); three soldiers and three civilians immediately went out for a fact finding patrol. They were able to arrest 7 boats, 3 outboard engines, a number of illegal fishing nets and 14 (Kenyan) suspects,” the statement says.

Upon arrest, UPDF says the suspects were divided into two groups for safe transportation on the lake and that so were the FPU crew. Five suspects were put on the FPU boat and the rest in the fishermen’s 7 boats.

After getting a tip that the suspects were arrested, Kenya Coastal Guard Police came to their rescue and consequently intercepted and took back one of the seven boats with all the nine suspects.

The Kenyan police also took along one Ugandan soldier identified as Pte Twinamasiko Balam and three Ugandan civilians; Mwanje Muhammed, Masereka Joseph and Kasozi Yasin.

Meanwhile, UPDF says five Kenyan ‘illegal fishermen were arrested and are being kept at Uganda's Maninga Police Post while the four Ugandans who were taken hostage are kept at Port Victoria Police station in Kenya.

In the statement, UPDF says they tried to resolve the matter but all in vain adding that the matter is now being handed at strategic diplomatic level.

“Attempts by the commander FPU to have the matter resolved at that level were in futile, and so was the preferred meeting between RDC Namayingo and his Kenyan counterpart (DC) in whose jurisdiction  Port Victoria Police is situated.”