ugandan marine issues orders during one of the routine patrols

Three Kenyan security officers in are being detained by Ugandan soldiers in what could be the latest controversy surrounding fishing rights in Lake Victoria.

The officers were arrested and disarmed by the UPDF soldiers on Monday near Mageta and Hama Islands in Lake Victoria and taken to the neighbouring country by boat. The officers’ guns and phones were taken away before they were taken to Bugiri Mainland Prison in Uganda at about 6pm. Priscilla Kemunto of KDRTV wrote.

Siaya County Administration Police Commandant Patrick Lumumba said the 3pm incident involved up to eight soldiers on patrol. He also said the officers were rounded up and put together with Kenyan fishermen found catching fish in Ugandan waters.

In November last year, the Foreign ministry had to intervene after 17 fishermen in Homa Bay were arrested and detained in Uganda over illegal fishing. A number of this group claimed they were also forced to pay fines before they were released.

While Kenya sends police officers to patrol the lake, Uganda has sent the Special Forces Command, a unit of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
In February this year, President Museveni argued he sends the military because his police officers and the marine authorities were too corrupt to protect Ugandan fish.

Meanwhile in Siaya, fishermen are up in arms and do not intend to hold more meetings. They are instead demanding for a patrol team that equipped with sophisticated weapons to match their Ugandan counterparts.

The post Uganda holds 3 Kenyan police officers on L. Victoria first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Lake Bunyonyi in western Uganda, Kabale district is said to be one of the deepest lakes in African.

The Danish embassy in Uganda chartered the aircraft that airlifted the marine officers to the scene.

The Southern region police spokesperson, Eli Maate says that the victims include, Dustin Sebastian and Thomas.

Maate says that the victims were swimming while putting on heavy shoes a reason he says might have caused them to drown.

He says that the chances to recover them live are very minimal as they have taken over 12 hours in water.

The post Marine police searching for bodies of Danish Tourists first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.