Kenya seeks EAC hand in Lake Victoria insecurity
Kenya wants the East Africa Community to come up with a solution that will stop persistent harassment of fishermen in Lake Victoria, Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Fisheries and Blue Economy, Salim Mvurya has said.
He said already, Cabinet has discussed the question of cross border insecurity that has seen local fishermen suffer persecution at the hands of security agents from neighbouring countries who even detain and confiscate their boats and catch.
The CS was speaking at Asembo in Rarieda sub-county in Siaya at the weekend when he, together with his ICT counterpart Eliud Owalo met Beach Management Unit (BMU)officials from Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties.
Mvurya said the government will form a multi-agency team that will help address the matter with neighbouring countries that share Lake Victoria waters.
He said that his ministry was committed to having fish landing sites turned into the first point of value addition for the catch, adding that plans were underway to construct cooling facilities.
Owalo on the other hand said his ministry will establish digital laboratories in all beach units to enable fishermen to acquire adequate ICT skills.
National chairman of BMU Tom Guda lamented that security agents of the neighbouring countries were using flimsy reasons to harass Kenyan fishermen and called for government intervention.
