Fear after three explosives found in Lake Victoria

Bombs which were found at Kiumba Beach in Suba North Constituency.

Fear gripped a beach in Homa Bay County after fishermen found three explosive devices in Lake Victoria.

The fishermen operating at Kiumba Beach in Suba North Sub County had cast their nets in the waters to catch fish on Monday evening but instead harvested the 'bombs' packed in a metallic box while another piece was floating on water.

According to Kiumba Beach Management Unit Chairman Samuel Osewe, the fishermen had high hopes that they had caught a large quantity of fish since their net was heavier than usual.

“My colleagues became happier when their nets became very heavy. They believed, they had caught more fish than usual,” said Osewe.

However, fishermen’s hopes failed when they realized that they had bombs in their nets instead of fish.

“I called for a patrol boat which we used for removing the bombs from the Lake. My office also liaised with security officials to whom we handed over the explosives,” said Osewe.

The explosives were taken to Mbita Police Station.

Homa Bay County Directorate of Criminal Investigations Commander Daniel Wachira said his office had contacted bomb experts from Kisumu to examine the weapons.

The experts are expected to detonate the bombs if they are found to be live.

The bombs are believed to have been discarded in the lake after the Second World War. Many of them have been found in the lake in the last few years.

Wachira said police had been sensitising fishermen on the dangers of colonial bombs after they discovered that the weapons were in the lake.

“The number of bombs which were dropped into the Lake has not been known. However, we always sensitise fishermen on how to handle them. One of the measures is to report to us whenever they find the explosives,” Wachira said.