Naivasha youths accuse Kenya Coast Guards of highhandedness

Youths from the sprawling Karagita estate in Naivasha have accused the recently deployed Kenya Coast Guards of highhandedness when dealing with fishermen operating in Lake Naivasha.

On Wednesday, they barricaded the new Moi South lake road, burnt tyres on the tarmac, inconveniencing motorists plying the busy route for hours.

Police lobbed teargas to disperse the rowdy youth who numbered 200 as they engaged the law enforcers in a game of cat and mouse.

“We shall not allow the rule of the jungle to take root. Those willing to operate in the lake should follow the right procedures,” said the deputy county commissioner Kisilu Mutua.

The youths had accused the elite squad of harassment and arbitrary arrests, claims the administrator denied.

Mr Mutua warned the youths against disrupting traffic, urging them to follow the due process to channel complaints.

Illegal fishing activities

“Those who staged the protest are illegal fishermen who had, in the past, wreaked havoc in the freshwater lake,” added Mr Kisilu.

He was said only licensed fishermen will be allowed into the waters, noting that illegal fishing activities are threatening the survival of the lucrative industry.

Recently, bonafide Lake operators raised the red flag over the dwindling numbers of popular species like tilapia and common carp.

Theft of fishing nets had also been on the rise.

“We shall not relent in the war on poaching. We must protect the natural resource from exploitation from a few unscrupulous traders who are using the youths to advance their prohibited trade,” Mr Mutua maintained.

Some of the measures that the government has introduced to curb illegal fishing include fitting boats with special number plates to help curb rampant cases of illegal fishing.

Only those with valid licences will be issued with the identification plates in a move aimed at streamlining operations in the freshwater lake.

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