Three fishermen hospitalised after attack by water bandits
A fisherman loads his fishing gear onto a cart at the Ngege beach April 1, 2014. Common security and rescue policies are being developed to govern member states sharing Lake Victoria. PHOTO/TOM OTIENO
Three fishermen from Nambo beach in Bondo sub-county are recuperating at Got Agulu Hospital after they were attacked by unknown people on Lake Victoria on Tuesday night.
The three were cornered at night by five attackers armed with crude weapons, said Nambo Beach Management Unit (BMU) chair Johannes Munyolo.
“Their attackers beat them up and hacked them with pangas before stealing their fishing gear. They were seriously injured,” Mr Munyolo said.
He added: “The stolen fishing gear was worth over Sh200,000. This is a huge investment from fishermen who wanted to boost their fishing business.”
The fishermen were rescued by their colleagues after the attackers left thinking the three had died.
Fishermen had appealed for more security patrols on the lake.
Call for more vigilance
The government recently deployed Kenya Coast Guard Service officers to the lake, but the fishermen lamented that they were not enough and were stationed in Port Victoria, Busia County, several miles from Usenge.
“It would be prudent to have as many officers as possible and armed in order to help us from the challenges of water banditry,” Mr Munyolo said.
It was not clear where the bandits came from but locals believe they could be Kenyans working with Ugandans.
Mr Joel Okumu, who has fished at Nambo beach for the past decade, claimed he could identify Ugandans from the way they speak.
“It seems that there is collaboration between the water pirates from Uganda and those from Kenya. They are mostly interested in fishing gear,” he said.
The matter was reported to the Usenge Police Station and investigations are underway.
Besides water piracy, illegal fishing gear is also becoming a major problem in the lake.
“The use of small-hole fishing nets is also coming back at most of the beaches in Lake Victoria. The most affected areas are Wich Lum beach, Kunya beach and Asembo,” Mr Okumu said.
Small-hole nets destroy the breeding grounds of fish by catching fingerlings.
