Police in bed with cartels extorting poor fishermen

Kenya Marine police officers patrolling the lake. The officers have been accused of colluding with criminals who extort Kenyan fishermen. [Isaiah Gwengi/Standard]

The long-held view that Lake Victoria is a vast productive resource for all to share, is fast changing.

In its place is an unpleasant pattern — thanks to runaway greed fanned by shadowy cartels operating on the vast waters — that has seen Kenyan fishermen reduced to hostages by criminal networks that not only steal but torture them.