Fishermen turn to technology to fight insecurity

Some of the Kenyan fishermen who were arrested by Ugandans in Lake Victoria. [File, Standard]

Fishermen in Uhanya Beach, Bondo sub-county, are being registered digitally as part of an effort to address insecurity.

According to the Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chairman Gregory Winja, digitisation of records will help them restore order in the sector.

Speaking on Friday during the inauguration of the new BMU office, Mr Winja said the beach has experienced several challenges due to a lack of proper records and data.

“We have a mobile population on our beaches and this makes it very difficult to keep proper data of the members,” said Winja.

The beach official, who reassured the fishermen that the digital registration will not only address insecurity issues but also provide data for purposes of planning and resource allocation.

“Data is very important when it comes to planning and resource allocation. We are therefore urging all the fishermen or members of our beach to ensure that they participate in this exercise for their own good,” he added.

According to Winja, registration details will include the name of the fisherman, home area, his or her chief, and the next of kin.

The chairman, who was accompanied by Siaya County BMU Coordinator Willis Ochieng and West Yimbo BMU Network chairman Okoth Odero, decried the insecurity in the lake.