Uganda and Kenya have agreed to improve the transit of fish from Lake Turkana to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

During a four-day discussion held at Busia, it was agreed that the Uganda Government compensates fish traders from Kenya for the fish that was confiscated last year at Mpondwe border enroute to DR Congo.

In a resolution made by the joint verification mission of the fish value chain, signed at Busia in Kenya on March 4, the two governments agreed to work out a mechanism for transportation of Kenyan fish through Uganda up to Mpondwe border post.

In a joint statement signed by Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama, the permanent secretary ministry of agriculture, and his counterpart, Dr Francis Owino, the two governments agreed to facilitate transportation of fish from Lake Turkana, through Uganda to DR Congo without interference.

They resolved that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya should raise a formal complaint to Uganda for compensation on behalf of the fish traders of Kenya for the fish impounded by security personnel on October 3, 2021 at Kikorongo near Mpondwe border point.

In the statement, the two governments resolved to form a multi-agency team in Marsabit, Samburu and Turkana counties that border Lake Turkana to come up with mechanisms for evacuation of fish from Lake Turkana on transit to the DR Congo through Uganda by March 11, this year.

“A bilateral technical joint committee, headed by the directors of fisheries management, will meet virtually on March 25 to harmonize the mechanisms developed by the multi-agency teams,” the statement reads.

The final harmonized proposal will be submitted to respective permanent or principal secretaries for adoption virtually on March 25.

At the Beach Management Unit stores at Kalokol, the officials observed that different species of fish, including Nile tilapia, mango tilapia, red belly tilapia, hydrocynus (tiger fish), Alestes, cowfish and others were sundried and clean.

They also found large quantities of fish that was well-packed in bales, both in small quantities of undersized Nile tilapia and Nile perch.

They discovered that people of different nationalities, including Kenyans, Ugandans and Congolese, were living and trading harmoniously, but they all had faced the same challenges during fish transit across Uganda.

The delegation learnt that the market in DR Congo prefers small-size fish.

The meeting was organized to enable officials from both countries to interact with the stakeholders along the fish value chain and to identify issues that impede smooth fish trade from Kenya to DR Congo through Uganda.

The factories visited were processing Nile perch and Tilapia, but Mango Tilapia (dwarf) and Red-belly Tilapia were being rejected by the processing plants following earlier allegations that it was processing immature fish.

The main products found were fish fillets, fish skins and swim bladders.

Complaints raised

According to a Uganda-Kenya bilateral statement, several concerns were raised during the interaction with the stakeholders, who included fish market traders, members of the Kenya-Busia Cross Border Fish Traders Association and Kenyan fishermen from Lake Victoria. These included allegations of harassment and extortion faced by the Kenyan fish traders while on transit through Uganda and demand for compensation for the impounded fish.

The delegation also interacted with various stakeholders along the fish value chain at Kalokol and these included fishermen, processors, traders and transporters. The officials were informed of allegations of extortion along the transit routes, which forces most traders to use Ugandan registered trucks for transportation of fish. They also cited delayed clearance of Kenyan trucks at Busia border point by Uganda Revenue Authority officials.

The traders also complained about an extra cost arising from offloading and reloading of the fish trucks occasioned from the requirement by the Ugandan authorities to open the seals and verify the contents of the trucks. There were also allegations of the existence of cartels that exploit traders.