Fish valued at Sh200m destined for DRC rotting in Busia stores

Fish traders from Busia County are counting losses after their fish started rotting in their stores at the Busia cross border point over trade bottlenecks between Kenya and Uganda.

The salted fish valued at Sh200 million was destined for DRC but Uganda’s Fisheries Protection Unit has issued an order barring Kenyan fish exporters from stepping on Ugandan soil.

For those who try to cross the border, once they step into the Ugandan soils, they are arrested and prosecuted.

• Central fish boom as processing plants remain idle
• 'How soldier flies have boosted my fish output'
• Fish farmers boost production with aquaculture
• Busia: Going Back to Sorghum Production Amid Climate Change

Reuben Khayofu, the Secretary of Busia Cross Border Traders, told the Standard that Ugandan authorities claim they (Kenyan fish exporters) are transporting stolen fish from Lake Kyoga and Lake George.

“The fish is from Lake Turkana. They have warned us against stepping foot in Uganda since we are unwanted guests there,“ said Khayofu.

Khayofu said the Ugandan authorities have threatened that if found transporting fish to Congo, they will be arrested and charged with illegal fishing.

Khayofu said they have been exporting fish to DRC Congo since 2008 until October 3 when four trucks transporting fish valued at Sh50 million were impounded at Kasese district.

“The Fisheries Protection Unit claims that the fish we export to Congo is immature and from Ugandan lakes which are smuggled to Kenya,” said Khayofu.

Emily Akumu, who has been a fish trader for 20 years, said the more than 700 fish traders have the requisite documents for exporting to DRC.

She claimed that to the extreme, they have been dragged to Ugandan courts where they are slapped with charges ranging from illegal fishing, fishing immature fish from Lake Kyoga, and exporting to DRC.

“I have always engaged in genuine business in Kenya, Uganda, and DRC since 2008 but the Ugandan military has become a threat to the survival of our business,” said Akumu.

According to Mwajuma Ibrahim, also a fish trader, the Kenyan government is silent on the issue, yet they pay hefty taxes to the government.

“Where is President Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to intervene?” said Mwajuma.

Hassan Omari, a fish trader, told The Standard that Uganda is flouting the East African Community (EAC) free trade agreement by not allowing them to export their fish.

He said if the situation is not resolved, Ugandan traders should also be barred from trading in Kenya.

Omari appealed to Uhuru to intervene over the stalemate by talking to President Yoweri Museveni.

On Saturday, the fish exporters picked a Ugandan soldier who they claimed was among those who impounded their fish at the Mpondwe border on October 3 and later sold it.

They frog marched him to Busia Police station but was later released, sparking protests from fish exporters on Sunday.

“We sued the Fisheries Protection Unit seeking an order to have our fish released but surprisingly, the Ugandan soldiers started selling it,” said Yusuf Sefu, chairman of the Kenya Fish Traders Association.

Yusuf claimed that the soldier admitted that they sold fish in one of the lorries they impounded.

Deputy President William Ruto while on a tour of Busia County appealed to President Museveni to release trucks belonging to Kenyan fish exporters unconditionally.

He said fresh fish was highly perishable and if the standoff persists, the traders will incur huge losses.