The families of the 79 fishermen who were arrested and are being held by Ugandan police, have appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta, to intervene.
Led by the Chairman of Bumbe Beach Management Network Unit, Polycarp Juma, the families also urged the President to intercede in the case of a 16-year-old boy who was arrested and later released by the Ugandan authorities, but could not make it home due to financial constraints.
“This boy was re-arrested by police and taken back to court where the Ugandan court ruled that he serves 18 months in custody,” said Juma, adding that the victim hails from a very humble background.
This comes after four students who were arrested by the Ugandan Authorities during the school holidays returned home.
The four were released after paying a fine of Sh 50,000 each.
The returnees narrated harrowing experiences that the victims are subjected to while in Ugandan police cells.
One of the returnees’ father, Moses Ojiambo, lamented that he was forced to sell his livestock to pay for his son’s release.
“I want to appeal to both Kenya and Uganda governments to intervene in this issue,” Ojiambo appealed.
Bunyala Deputy County Commissioner, Grace Ouma, said that 51 fishermen were arrested at Omena, Bungu, Marenga, Busijo, Busembe Bumbe and Namabusi/Musoma beaches sometime last month.
Ouma clarified that all those arrested were above 18 and there was no student among them
On the other hand, Samia Deputy County Commissioner, Esther Kung’u, stated that a total of 28 fishermen were arrested from the Sub-county two weeks ago.
