2 Ugandan Soldiers Arrested By KDF Officers For Beating Up Kenyan Fishermen
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers apprehended two Ugandan military counterparts on Thursday in a port town in Busia County.
The two Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers were arrested on Sumba Island in Port Victoria on charges of targeting and harassing Kenyan fishermen working on Lake Victoria.
At the time of their arrest, officers Richard Amrie and Michael Busola had already apprehended numerous Kenyan fishermen and were preparing to transport them to Uganda.
Their apprehension stemmed from intelligence reports provided by villagers and fishermen to KDF officers patrolling the waterways at the time.
Ugandan security officers were arrested by Kenyan authorities on Wednesday after allegedly harassing Kenyan fishermen in Lake Victoria.
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) February 5, 2025
The incident occurred near Sumba Island, where the officers, Constables Richard Amria and Michael Musila, were found to have detained Kenyan… pic.twitter.com/L8EHZ5wW0s
This came after people complained that officers from neighboring countries frequently crossed the border to harass Kenyan fishermen before holding them for prolonged periods of time.
Following the arrest of the UPDF soldiers, villagers thanked KDF personnel for their prompt response, disclosing that the officers had abused and maimed them on Wednesday.
“Yesterday they arrested me and told us to follow a certain route,” one of the fishermen who was arrested by the Ugandan officers narrated.
“I complied, only to be told that I was planning an escape. One officer took me into their boat and immediately pounced on me with beatings.”
“He hit me three times on the chest using the buttstock of the gun he was having. I was compelled to ask why he was beating me after arresting me because they have been really harassing us,” he added.
Uganda soldiers sneaked into Kenyan waters in Lake Victoria to extort our fishermen; the fishermen raised an alarm and our Coast Guards responded and nabbed the two and are now in the custody of KE Police…Lake Victoria is a shared resource between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania… pic.twitter.com/ez5hdKXuka
— Dr. Oundo Mudenyo,PhD,MP (@OundoMudenyo) February 5, 2025
The two sergeants were later held at Budalangi Police Station in Busia County pending the outcome of investigations into their actions.
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It was not immediately clear whether the cops will be turned up to Uganda or tried in court.
There have been several reports of fishermen losing their fishing gear to criminals, as well as harassment by police and military authorities from neighboring countries on the lake.
The lawsuits have threatened to escalate international tensions over boundary disputes around Lake Victoria.
It sparked concerns, causing the government to deploy KDF and Coast Guard officers to police and protect Kenya’s territorial limits.
2 Ugandan Soldiers Arrested By KDF Officers For Beating Up Kenyan Fishermen
