Fish worth Sh200 million rots in Busia over Kenya-Uganda row

Kenyan traders are counting their losses after Ugandan authorities blocked them from transporting their fish to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through their territory as has been the case for the last 13 years.

The traders said their salted fish, with a total value of Sh200 million, has started rotting in stores at the Busia border after Uganda’s Fisheries Protection Unit banned Kenyan fish exporters from stepping foot in the country.

The Kenyan traders have been exporting fish to DRC by road, through Uganda, since 2008. The only other alternative would be air transport, which is expensive.

“Kenyan fish traders who find themselves in Uganda are now being arrested and prosecuted,” said Busia Cross Border Traders secretary Reuben Khayofu.

The bone of contention is the source of fish the Kenyans are exporting to DRC. Ugandan authorities accused the Kenyans of stealing their fish, from Lake Kyoga and Lake George, a claim the traders have denied. They said they source their fish from Lake Turkana.

“We get our fish from Lake Turkana but the Ugandan military claims the fish is from Ugandan lakes. They have told us not to step foot in their country. They have labeled us unwanted guests,” Khayofu told The Standard on Thursday.

He said things went haywire on October 1 this year, when Ugandan security agencies at Mpondwe border in Kasese District, impounded their four lorries transporting fish valued at Sh50 million to DR Congo.

“The Fisheries Protection Unit of Uganda claims the fish we export to Congo is immature. They have also claimed the fish is from Ugandan lakes, smuggled to Kenya, processed, and repackaged before it is exported. We have tried to explain to them how wrong they are but they are adamant. We are incurring huge losses as the fish remain in the stores. The fish have started rotting,” said Khayofu.

Ugandan officials have in the past arrested, detained and prosecuted Kenyan fishermen whom they have accused of fishing in their waters in Lake Victoria. 

In most cases of the arrests, done by the Ugandan military, canoes and other fishing gear belonging to the Kenyans, have been confiscated.

Western Regional Commissioner Esther Maina acknowledged the existence of a row between Kenya and Uganda over the fish Ugandan security forces confiscated.

“The stalemate has subjected Kenyan fish traders to a lot of suffering,” Maina said.

She said their efforts to have the Ugandan forces release the four lorries they impounded at Mpondwe on October 1 have been fruitless.

“I wish to state that the fish that was impounded is from Kenya, from Lake Turkana, and not Ugandan lakes as has been claimed. The traders have been exporting fish to DR Congo for the last 13 years and there has never been a problem. We wonder what suddenly changed,” Ms Maina said.

She added: “This push and pull between the two governments is unhealthy. It is likely to affect the good ties Kenya and Uganda have enjoyed for decades.”

Maina said Ugandan authorities are not genuine in the way they are handling the matter. “We have had several meetings with them but they have always reneged on the agreements we have reached. They are not willing to implement anything both sides have agreed on.”

“I urge our traders to remain calm as we resolve the matter. The Kenyan government is keen on resolving the matter and we will soon get a lasting solution. Talks between representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their Ugandan counterparts are at an advanced stage. We hope the matter will be resolved amicably,” said Maina.

Emily Akumu, who had been a fish trader for 20 years, said the over 700 exporters have the requisite documents to sell their products in DRC. 

“That notwithstanding, any Kenyan trader found on Ugandan roads is arrested, beaten up, detained, and their fish confiscated. It is a sad state of affairs,” said Akumu.

She added: “There are times we are dragged into Ugandan courts where they have preferred various charges against us, including illegal fishing and catching immature fish from Uganda lakes for export to DRC.”

“The Ugandan military has become a threat, not just to our business, but to our lives as well. Yet we are engaged in genuine business. This is our only source of livelihood for most of us. If they don’t release the fish they have detained to us so we can sell it, we will not be able to service huge loans we’ve taken,” said Ms Akumu.

Mwajuma Ibrahim accused the Kenyan government of not doing much to end their crisis.

“Where is President Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya? They are silent yet we pay tax. They should intervene to end the stalemate and our suffering?” said Mwajuma.

Hassan Omari accused Uganda of flouting the East African Community free trade agreement by not allowing the Kenyans to export their fish through their territory. “If the situation is not resolved soon, then Ugandan traders should also be barred from the markets in Kenya.”

On Saturday, the fish exporters cornered a Ugandan soldier they said was among those who impounded their consignments at Mpondwe and reportedly sold part of it. They frogmarched him to Busia Police Station but the soldier was later released sparking protests among the traders.

“We sued the Fisheries Protection Unit seeking an order to have our fish released. We were surprised when Ugandan soldiers started selling our fish,” said Yusuf Sefu, the chairman of Kenya Fish Traders Association.

He added: “We arrested the said soldier at the border, he spying on us. He wanted to know if we have more fish for export so they can impound and sell it. As law-abiding citizens, we chose to take him to the police station only for him to be released at 10pm, without our knowledge.”

Yusuf claimed they arrested the soldier after he reportedly admitted they had sold fish in one of the impounded lorries.

Deputy President William Ruto, while on a tour of Busia County recently, appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene and have the lorries belonging to Kenyan fish exporters released, unconditionally.

“The traders will incur massive losses if the standoff persists. We cannot claim we are good neighbours when we allow Uganda traders to do business in the country freely but our traders are arrested and slapped with punitive fines and their products confiscated across the border,” said Ruto.

At a glance

– The fish that’s rotting is valued at Sh200 million

– Four trucks impounded on Oct 1 with fish worth Sh50million was enroute to DRC

– Affected traders are 700 from Busia town

– Uganda’s Fisheries Protection Unit has barred Kenyan fish exporters from exporting fish to DRC through Uganda