Kenyan authorities have arrested 15 Ugandan fishermen and impounded five boats in the islands of Lolwe in Dolwe sub-county, Namayingo district.
The incident has raised concerns over cross-border fishing disputes between the two neighboring countries.
Namayingo Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC), Trevor Solomon Baleke, confirmed the arrests and impounding of boats, emphasizing ongoing communication with Kenyan counterparts to address the situation.
"We are in touch with our counterparts on the other side of the border. They have always cooperated with us whenever such incidents occurred," stated Baleke.
He further mentioned that a letter has been sent to Kenyan authorities, formally addressing the matter and seeking resolution.
The arrested fishermen are currently detained at Mihuri Bay in Kenya.
The arrests are believed to be linked to a previous operation conducted by the UPDF fisheries protectorate unit, where 11 illegal boats belonging to Kenyan fishers were impounded.
Namayingo authorities see the recent actions by Kenyan officials as a form of retaliation.
The list of arrested Ugandan fishermen includes names such as Boniface Otieno Oduor, Zironda John Magezi, Moses Ouma, Peter Owino, Kevin Otieno, and others. One Kenyan fisherman, Christopher Juma, was also among those arrested.
The impounded boats bear the identification numbers SGL-NMG-155, SGL-NMG-173, UV 004513, UV 006768, and UV13498.
Local authorities in Namayingo have expressed concerns about the continuous illegal entry of Kenyan fishermen into Ugandan waters, especially their use of illegal fishing gears.
