The National Assembly committee on Administration and National Security has promised to facilitate improvement of security in Lake Victoria to curb harassment of fishermen by security officials from neighbouring countries.
The committee members, led by their Chair Joseph Kahangara, held a meeting with security stakeholders in Homa Bay County, where they noted that harassment of fishermen in Lake Victoria has been a serious issue for many years.
A number of fishermen have complained of being tortured and fined by the assailants from Uganda and Tanzania.
During such a raid, the fishermen end up losing their fish and fishing gear in the hands of the attackers.
The problem has raised a concern among leaders and government officials in Homa Bay County, which has about 80 percent of Kenya’s Lake Victoria shoreline.
The National Assembly Committee members noted that harassment of fishermen was a serious security concern impeding the economy of the county.
Other members of the committee present were Peter Kaluma of Homa Bay Town, Fred Kapondi of Mount Elgon, and Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Rep. Caroline Ng’elechei. They promised to push the executive arm of the government to ensure the issues are addressed.
Kahangara said they were going to factor resources for improving security in Lake Victoria in the 2026/2027 financial year budget, whose preparation is going on.
The budget will encompass allocation of resources for deploying more Kenya Coast Guard Service officers, buying more patrol boats, and empowering the coast guard officers with their tools of trade.
“We have noted the insecurity of Lake Victoria with a lot of concerns because that is where many residents draw their livelihood. We are going to push this issue into the budget so that it can be addressed,” Kahangara said.
A shortage of police vehicles was another issue that was discussed. It emerged that many police stations lacked vehicles, impeding police officers’ ability to respond to emergencies.
Kaluma said they had agreed to address the challenges affecting police in their operations.
“We have also had a complaint that our police stations lack vehicles. This is one of the issues the committee has agreed to address because the security of our people matters a lot, both on land and in Lake Victoria,” Kaluma said.
Other issues raised during the meeting included challenges affecting the office of the registrar of persons.
“Maisha’s number will sort out some of the issues in the registration. But the others will be addressed through the budget,” Kahangara said.
By Davis Langat
