By Nick Oluoch

Ugandan police fired several times in the air to quell a protest by Kenyan fishermen in Migingo Island.

Several people were injured in the Thursday night violence that lasted more than an hour.

The more than 200 fishermen were protesting what they termed as harassment by the Ugandan soldiers.

Trouble started earlier in the day when a Kenyan fisherman was allegedly beaten and seriously injured by the Ugandans.

Speaking from the island, Juma Ombori, the chairman of the local Beach Management Unit said the protests would continue until the Ugandans start treating Kenyans as ‘human beings’.

"There is no way we can be harassed everyday," Ombori said, adding the harassment continued despite Kenyans’ obedience of rules set by the Ugandans.

Earlier, there had been a meeting between Kenyans and the Ugandan police on the island in an attempt to bring peace.

The Ugandan team was led by SSP Bernard Kangewata, a police Chief Inspector placed by Uganda government to oversee activities on the island while the Kenyan team was led by Mr Ombori.

But they failed to agree after Kenyans insisted the police officer who had beaten and injured the Kenyan be arrested immediately.

In the commotion, Ombori said more than 50 shots were fired as the fishermen and the soldiers engaged in a conflict.