Migingo: Uganda tells its officers to stay put
Photo/FILE
Migingo Island (R) on Lake Victoria that Uganda and Kenya claim ownership.
A high-powered government team from Uganda visited the disputed Migingo and Ugingo islands in Lake Victoria, barely four days after President Kibaki declared that the islets belonged to Kenya.
The team, led by the Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr Christopher Abache, arrived at the islands by boat from the Bugiri mainland beach in Uganda.
They quickly went into a meeting with Ugandan officers guarding the islands before interacting with the Kenyan fishermen and traders “to hear their frustrations”.
Sources at the meeting said the senior officer asked the Ugandan security forces to stay put unless they received “another order from Kampala”.
Mr Abache was accompanied by nine other police and intelligence officers from Kampala.
The Kenyan fishermen and traders had earlier asked President Kibaki to “follow his words by action” by immediately reclaiming the disputed Migingo and Ugingo islands from the Ugandan authorities.
During the Madaraka Day celebrations, President Kibaki stated that the disputed islands belonged to Kenya, and announced that the country was committed to providing security for all.
