Speaker Among has tasked the government with bringing a statement to Parliament to explain why there are continued killings and human rights violations within fishing communities, despite the passing into law of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2022.
Her concern comes at the time a UPDF officer, Moses Niwagira, was accused of shooting dead Charles Wanya, a fisherman operating on the shores of Lake Kyoga, recently.
It should be recalled that the UPDF bestowed the mandate of keeping law and order within Ugandan waters on the Uganda Police, but the UPDF had maintained its presence on the lakes despite residents around fishing communities accusing the Army of inhumane treatment and murders while against the fishing community.
“There is an outcry, much as we passed a law on fisheries, but the people have continued to be mistreated. I got a report that somebody was killed at a landing site. As the government, maybe you need to come in and see the enforceability of the law that was passed in this House because the people who are being killed are our people; those are the same people who will vote for us tomorrow. So we need a response to that effect because it isn’t only on that island; it isn’t only in one fishing area,” said Among.
