Panic in Lake Victoria as Homa Bay fishermen net six live bombs

Six bombs which were found by fishermen in Lake Victoria were due to be detonated on Gembe hills, Mbita Sub County on November 11, 2016. PHOTO: JAMES OMORO

Fear has emerged in Lake Victoria after six live highly explosive bombs were discovered by fishermen in the lake.

The fishermen came across the bomb near Sindo Gateway beach in Suba sub county, Homa Bay County on Thursday evening.

The fishermen narrowly escaped from death due to ignorance they had about the bombs.
The County Beach Management Network Chairman Edward Oremo said the bombs were discovered by fishermen who were fishing.

The fishermen came to realize presence of the bomb after the bomb got stuck into their fishing nets.
"My colleagues thought they had caught very big fish but only to realize that they were carrying bombs," said.

Unware of the danger ahead of them, the fishermen thought they had come across valuable metals which they were going to preserve in their houses for sales later.

"We thought we had got precious metals and I was just striking deals with my colleagues how we could keep and sell them. I was just contemplating on a way of looking for market for these products," said Jack Onyango, fisherman.

However, some of them shared the information with police officers who informed them that they were holding bombs. The police took the explosives to Magunga Police station where they were kept.

The information caused worry among the fishing community in the area that they would lose their lives in case any of them could explode.

"The weapons have caused panic because a bomb is something that can cause loss of lives for many people within the shortest time possible. Some of the fishermen are afraid of returning into the Lake after the incident," said Oremo.

Oremo called on the local security personnel to sensitize all fishermen in the county on bombs aware to salvage deaths in future.

Police in Homa Bay county Police Commander John Omusanga said the bombs were of a type known as Highly Explosive (HE) type.

Friday, Omusanga called bomb experts from Kisumu and detonated them on Gembe Hills, Mbita Sub County.

"These bombs are very dangerous and can cause death very easily. I call upon the locals and fishermen to handle them very carefully and report them to us," said Omusanga.

He said history had it that the bombs were disposed into the Lake during the Second World War.

"The bombs seem to have stayed in the lake for many years and have rusted but they are still live. We will continue sensitizing the locals about them," he added.