KENYANS HAVE ARRESTED UPDF MAJOR OFFICIAL AND FIVE OTHER UGANDANSIN KENYA.
Channel: PROJOURN MEDIA TV
Date: 07/11/2021

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KENYANS HAVE ARRESTED UPDF MAJOR OFFICIAL AND FIVE OTHER UGANDANSIN KENYA.
A senior UPDF officer, three top officials from the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries are among six Ugandans who were last evening arrested by the Kenya security officials at the Busia-Kenya border amid an ongoing fish row between the two countries.

The officials include Maj Robert Ariho attached to the Fish protection unit at Entebbe, Mr Paul Okwara, a principle secretary fisheries, Mr Simon Jonan Imongoti, a fisheries inspector at Busia border, Mr Eugene Egesa, the Busia district fisheries officer, Mr John Michael Amodoi, a clearing agent at the Busia border and one other unidentified official said to be a UPDF soldier.

The six Ugandans were arrested at the office of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) manager after crossing the border, as they waited to meet some Kenyan authorities over fish trade.

The officials were handcuffed by the Kenyan police and taken out of the customs premises and marched to a waiting police car before they were whisked off to Busia Kenya police station under unclear circumstances.

Kenya authorities remained tightlipped on the arrest which Ugandan officials said was as a result of “miscommunication between country officials.”

“Kindly note that the said officials are not in police custody. The incident was as a result of miscommunication between country officials. This was however resolved and the officials allowed to go about their business,” the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) tweeted Saturday evening in response to our tweet about the officials’ arrest.The Ugandan officials had been led across the Kenyan border by Ms Florence Atieno, the Kenya national cross border women chairperson, to inspect and ascertain the quality of fish in Busia Kenya market with a view of clearing its export to DR Congo allegedly on orders of Uganda’s fisheries state minister, Ms Hellen Adoa.

"We arrived here several hours back. We have been waiting to be cleared by the Kenya authorities to have a meeting and look at the fish in their market but everybody we are contacting says it is a weekend," Maj Ariho was heard complaining.

The meeting between the Ugandan officials and the KRA manager at first appeared cordial as the Ugandan officials requested to have a look at the fish to ascertain its size before clearing it for export.

Dramatic scenes
Drama however, started unfolding when a group of Kenyan fish exporters gathered at the office and started accusing Ugandan officials of impounding their fish which was enroute to DR Congo, at the Mpondwe border post in Kasese District.

"These are the guys who impounded and gave out our fish. They either kill us before leaving here or they return our fish," one trader was heard shouting at the top of his voice.

The situation worsened when the Kenyan traders attempted to force their way into the room where the Ugandan officials were seated, claiming they were being made to repay back loans they got for their businesses yet their fish was impounded by “cartels in Uganda led by someWe have lost all the hope. All our fish was given out by these guys. We have lost everything, including our livelihoods and cannot afford to provide a meal for our families. It is better we kill these officials and chop them to pieces so that each of us carries a piece of their flesh home for a meal," another trader shouted.

Journalist threatened with arrest
This reporter who was at the border as the drama unfolded was stopped from taking pictures by Customs local guard and threatened with arrest. Moments later security operatives in plain clothes and the Kenya administration police armed with AK 47 assault rifles deployed and surrounded the office of the KRA manager.

One Kenyan security officer was overheard speaking on phone before he later walked into the room where the Ugandan officials had been locked and ordered for their arrest. They were handcuffed and marched out to a waiting police patrol car and whisked to Busia Kenya police station.

As the Ugandan officials were being whisked away, Kenya traders ran after the patrol car in jubilation, saying it was time the Uganda officials realized Kenya had a tougher security team.

Mr David Ogeya, one of the fish traders said it was unfair for the Ugandan authorities to impound their fish which was in transit to DR Congo.

"These men are here but they don’t know how we are suffering because of their actions. We have lost all our capital which we acquired as bank loans. Our property is being taken by the banks as we watch because of some careless actions of the Ugandan officials," Mr Ogeya said.

Another trader, Mr Hassan Omari told theDaily Monitorthat they had close to 400 tons of fish stuck in their stores in Burumba and in the market because they can’t risk exporting the fish to DR C