Litare Beach fishermen face renewed arrests by Ugandan security forces on Lake Victoria

Litare Beach fishermen on Lake Victoria are raising alarm over a resurgence of arrests and harassment by Ugandan security forces, with local authorities warning that cross border tensions are once again escalating. The most significant confirmed incident occurred in August 2025, when 24 fishermen from Ringiti Island in Suba North/Suba West were detained and taken to Lolwe Island in Uganda. Six boats were also confiscated during the operation. Local Beach Management Unit officials, however, maintain that the fishermen were operating within Kenyan waters, accusing Ugandan patrols of routinely crossing the boundary to intimidate and extort Kenyan citizens. At least three fishermen from Litare Beach on Rusinga Island and a big number from Sindo Beach are among those who have faced persistent harassment. Fishermen report that Ugandan security agents have made arrests near Ringiti and Chulni Ariyo, areas approximately 40 kilometres from Uganda. They are now urging the Kenyan government to authorize the Kenya Coast Guard Service to intensify patrols on the Kenyan side of the lake. Community leaders say the arrests—once reduced following diplomatic engagement between Nairobi and Kampala—are rising again, threatening livelihoods and disrupting the region’s fishing economy. Fishermen allege that Ugandan officers demand KSh 50,000–60,000 per person or per boat for release, describing the payments as extortion. At Litare Beach, some Kenyan boats now carry tags issued by Ugandan authorities, which fishermen say help them avoid arrest but require monthly payments of KSh 6,000. Litare BMU chairman Isaya Ochieng said many investors have lost boats to Ugandan forces and must pay at least KSh 20,000 to recover any vessel that is seized. He added that more than 300 boats have been confiscated since 2021, with Ugandan Marine and Revenue units each exercising their own powers to demand payments. In a separate 2025 incident, two Ugandan soldiers were arrested by Kenyan security officers after allegedly assaulting and detaining Kenyan fishermen near Sumba Island in Busia County, underscoring the persistent friction along the shared border. Local administrators in Homa Bay say many incidents go unreported, making it difficult to document the full scale of the problem. However, the confirmed 24 arrests in 2025 remain the clearest verified figure in the past two years, with fishermen warning that the true number is likely higher. Community leaders are now calling on the Kenyan government to strengthen lake patrols and pursue diplomatic engagement with Uganda to protect thousands of families who depend on Lake Victoria’s fisheries for their livelihoods.