Ugandan authorities arrest IEBC clerks on Migingo Island

Kenyan and Ugandan police (in blue) manning Migingo Island located some miles deep in lake Victoria. Despite the island being a gazetted polling station,two clerks working for IEBC were on Tuesday arrested and detained by Ugandan police after they were assigned to register votes in the island. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Ugandan authorities have arrested two clerks registering voters on Migingo Island for trespassing.

The two Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) clerks were accused of being in Uganda without permission.

However, George Odhiambo and Wilkister Alao had been cleared by the Kenyan security team that informed their Ugandan counterparts of the IEBC plans.

The incident resulted in a brief stand-off between Kenyan and Ugandan security personnel, who cocked their guns ready to defend their respective territories.

Trouble started when the clerks set up a voter registration desk after clearance from the Kenyan security team.

"The locals were jovial and jammed a queue in a short time, and we started registering them. After registering five people, we were called to the Beach Management Unit Ugandan office," Mr Odhiambo said.

At the office, they were informed by one Denis Tolit, who heads the Ugandan force on the island, that orders from "above" had reversed the earlier consent and they were not needed on the island.

This prompted the officer in-charge of Border Patrol Marine Team Mohamed Ngome of Kenya Police to intervene.

Sgt Ngome reinstated the polling desk but immediately after that Sgt Tolit ordered his officers 'to get ready for war'. He called for the immediate arrest of Ngome and the clerks for disobeying Ugandan authorities.

"The Ugandan officers were 18 in number, all ready for war. We ran away to our houses for safety," said a shopkeeper on the island who declined to reveal her identity for fear of harassment.

"After spending over one hour locked in the cell, a signal ordering our freedom rang. The officers returned our phones and ordered us to leave the island with immediate effect," said Ms Alao.

Due to a protracted dispute over the ownership of Migingo, cases of harassment have been reported by Kenyans living on the island.

Nyatike constituency IEBC boss Samwel Ochieng' said they were consulting their seniors for further direction. Migingo is a gazetted polling station.