Two Kenyan fishermen were shot dead by a UPDF officer following an altercation on the geographical location of the nets they had cast to catch fish.
The incident happened at Sumba Island, in Busia County.
The incident started after the fishermen from Marengo Beach went fishing at Lake Victoria.
Hardly had they cast their nets when a UPDF-manned boat approached them. The fishermen were asked why they were fishing on the wrong side of the lake, an altercation ensued prompting one of the UPDF officers to fire bullets.
The bullets killed one Paul Owinyi, while his colleague Fred Majoni succumbed to bullets moments later in hospital.
The rest of the fishermen on seeing the situation at hand dived into the waters and started a swimming escape.
It is reported that during the process of them tearing away from the UPDF wrath, one of the fishermen did not make it to the shores.
“We do not know where our colleague is, we have not seen him since the incident,” one of the fishermen said.
The Officer in Charge of Police District (OCPD) Isaiah Mose said that they received an alert by phone from interim GMU of Sumba Island, George Osoro who confirmed the incidents.
“Our people from the coast guard responded swiftly to the scene but we found that one of them had died and the other was rushed to hospital where he unfortunately died. We also managed to rescue three fishermen” he said.
Speaking of the incident, fishermen called for a meeting between Kenyan President William Ruto and his counterpart Yoweri Museveni to resolve the water issues between both countries.
“It is only the two presidents who can help us, otherwise we shall die in those waters and get finished.”
The fishermen also argued that their nets were on the Kenyan side of the water
The Migingo Island territory dispute has been brewing since 2004. Kenya and Uganda both claim ownership of the island as the residents continue to suffer.
Police forces from both countries patrol the island while ways to resolve the dispute are sought.
The population is mainly Kenyan and many of them have been arrested and detained for fishing in Uganda’s territorial waters. Diplomatic efforts have been unsuccessful, and during voter registration in December 2012, Ugandan officials stationed on the Island pointed their guns at the Kenyans who were protesting against police interference in the process.
