By John Oywa and Nick Oluoch

A retired ship captain, who worked with British colonialists to draw the boundaries on Lake Victoria says Migingo Island belongs to Kenya.

Captain JP Kamar said maps drawn by the defunct East African Railways and Harbours in the 1970s put the island on the Kenyan side.

Kenyan fishermen carry a boat they confiscated from Ugandan maritime security to Migingo Island at Nyandhiwa beach, at the weekend. [PHOTO: TITUS MUNALA /STANDARD]

"Negotiations over the island are a waste of time because it is on Government records. Using the maps, we would mount Ugandan flag on our ship after passing Migingo, an authority indication that the island belonged to Kenya," said Kamar.

He added: " While travelling to Kenya from Uganda, we used to put the Kenyan flag on reaching Migingo."

According to Kamar, other islands like Lolwe and Sigulu, now controlled by Uganda, used to be in Kenya.

Refer to records

Kamar, who worked for the East African Railways and Harbours between 1961 and 1977 said the boundary dispute on the lake would be resolved if the three government referred to old records in their custody.

Meanwhile, more issues are emerging on the territorial dispute over Migingo Island.

Ugandan policemen have been raking in more than Sh240,000 daily in levies on Kenyan fishermen.

Besides giving out 4kg of fish to the Ugandans daily, Kenyan fishermen living on Migingo also pay Uganda Sh10 for every kilogramme of Nile perch sold. Those who fail to pay are arrested and charged with trespass or expelled from the island altogether.

It is because of this that Ugandans are ready to go to war over the island, which many say belongs to Kenya.

"We are literally working for the Ugandan security officials," said a fisherman, Mr Jacob Ogange.

Kenyan fishermen also pay Sh60,000 annually to Ugandan authorities to fish in waters around Migingo, they claimed yesterday.

Meanwhile, fishermen operating in Muhuru, Kadem, Karungu and other shores adjacent to Migingo have kept off the lake for the last three days as the Ugandan marine police intensified their patrol.

Speaking from the island, Migingo Beach Management Unit Chairman Juma Ombori said no fishing was going on.

Most fish

"Most of the fish is in the Migingo peninsula and surrounding waters," Ombori said.

Meanwhile, heavily armed policemen have now replaced more than 90 Ugandan soldiers sent to Migingo Island.

According to the Government, there were only ten Ugandan policemen on the island, but Ombori said he saw at least 100 Ugandan marine police officers on Sunday.

On Sunday evening, two ships docked at the island from Bugiri District in Uganda to deliver food to the police following the decision by Kenyans to stop selling food to them.

Speaking from his office, Migori DC Julius Mutula said the move to remove the soldiers from the island had been agreed on by the two countries to ease tension.

The soldiers descended on the island after a group of Kenyan APs sent to carry out normal patrol with their Ugandan counterparts arrived in the island.