11 Kenyans seized by Uganda Police

What you need to know:

  • Traders and fishermen arrested by authorities for protesting against theft of mobile phones

Eleven Kenyans, including traders and fishermen, were arrested at the weekend by Ugandan authorities guarding the disputed Migingo Island in Lake Victoria.

The suspects were protesting at alleged theft  of mobile phones from a shop  owned by a Kenyan, Ms Evaline Nyambita,  by a Ugandan national.

The trader had reported the incident to the officers, but they reportedly declined  to arrest the suspect and instead opted to round up the complaining Kenyans.

The Migingo Beach Management Unit chairman, Mr Juma Ombori, said the  move elicited protests from fishermen operating on the rocky island.

Ms Nyambita was among those arrested and taken to Lolwe police station cells in Bugiri District.

“We want the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene immediately and secure  the release of the suspects. We don’t know what could be happening to them right now because their phones have been switched off,” Mr Ombori said.

Angry Kenyan fishermen on the island bitterly protested at the arrests and dared  the armed police officers to arrest all of them.

The incident occurred  as Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka joined the raging debate on the disputed island and declared that it was in Kenya.

He said the rocky island in Lake Victoria was in Kenya, adding, everybody “knows this fact”.

Island is ours

The VP was speaking in Migori Town when he toured the area to open a women’s prison wing.

Mr Musyoka had been forced to comment on the disputed island following chants of Migingo!Migingo! from the crowd.

“Everybody knows Migingo is ours and we will not let it go,” he asserted.

Both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are on record declaring that Migingo was Kenya’s despite the claim by Uganda that it owned it.

Operations of the joint survey team appointed to resolve the matter have since stalled after the members of the Ugandan delegation pulled out to consult their seniors in Kampala.