Pakwach communities petition Museveni over Onang-Nang fish
While interacting with the Minister of State for Local Government, Barugahara, during an anti-corruption rally dubbed “Expose the Corrupt” at St. Mary’s Primary School Omach on Thursday (August 13), residents complained that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Fisheries Protection Unit had banned them from fishing Onang nang, branding the practice illegal because of the fish’s small size.
Balaam Barugahara, the Minister of Local Government addressing residents of Pakwach district during an anti-corruption rally dubbed Expose the Corrupt at St. Mary’s Primary School Omach in Pakwach district on August 13, 2026. (Credit: Lawrence Mulondo)
PAKWACH - A first-time traveller to any trading centre in Pakwach District is likely to see women of different ages selling small, fried fish locally known as Onang-nang by the natives of the Albert Nile in Pakwach.
The tiny fish, also known as Brycinus nurse/ nurse tetra, which grows to about seven to nine centimetres at maturity, is more than a delicacy to the people of Pakwach in the West Nile sub-region.
For the Jonam fishing community, Onang -Nang is a source of livelihood, an important part of their culture and a tradition passed down through generations.
However, the community says restrictions on fishing have left many families impoverished, prompting them to petition President Yoweri Museveni to intervene.
While interacting with the Minister of State for Local Government, Barugahara, during an anti-corruption rally dubbed “Expose the Corrupt” at St. Mary’s Primary School Omach on Thursday (August 13), residents complained that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Fisheries Protection Unit had banned them from fishing Onang nang, branding the practice illegal because of the fish’s small size.
Barugahara's guests also complained that victims of the "harsh" security personnel include farmers who use small boats to cross the river and swamps to access their gardens. It is alleged that some of them are arrested by security personnel, who also break the wooden canoes.
The residents told the minister that many families depend on fishing and farming around the lake for survival.
Several people who took to the microphone appealed to the President to introduce new guidelines that recognise the unique nature of Onang nang and allow the community to fish it sustainably.
Pakwach District Woman Member of Parliament, Jane Avur Pacuto, said security officers should sensitise residents about fishing regulations instead of mistreating them.
“The army should be sensitising people on the right thing to do, not just beating people around and mistreating them,” she said.
Pacuto described Pakwach as a unique district because of its distinctive fish, saying Onang nang is not only a source of livelihood but also has potential as a tourism attraction.
Balaam Barugahara the minister of Local governments in company of Godfrey Marshall Alenyo the member of parliament for Jonam County and Pakwach Woman MP Jane Avur Pacuto trying out Onanga nang fish packed in containers. This was during the minister’s tour of the district during his anti-corruption crusade in the district on August 13, 2026. (Credit: Lawrence Mulondo)
Minister calls for presidential intervention
Responding to the concerns, Minister Barugahara said the matter should be presented to President Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in a letter, for guidance on fishing Onang nang, which he noted does not grow to a large size.
“The army has never been put on the lakes to beat up and destroy people’s lives through mistreatment,” he said.
The minister also said residents using small boats for transport should be allowed to move freely, particularly when travelling to their gardens or conducting other legitimate businesses.
“These people do not have a ferry to help them navigate the water, so no one should charge them for moving on water with their boats,” he ruled.
Barugahara urged authorities to instead trace people selling illegal fishing gear, saying such individuals facilitate and encourage young people to engage in illegal fishing.
He described charging residents for using their own boats for transport as corruption and called for officers accused of misconduct to be reported and prosecuted through the appropriate UPDF mechanisms.
‘We are people of the waters’
Jonam County Member of Parliament Godfrey Marshall Alenyo welcomed the minister’s guidance, stressing that fishing is deeply embedded in the identity of the Jonam people.
“The Jonam are people of the waters. Fishing is not only a livelihood for us; it is a tradition carried on from one generation to another,” Alenyo said.
For the residents, the fight over Onang nang is therefore not simply about access to a small fish. It is about protecting a source of income, preserving a cultural heritage and ensuring that a community whose life has long been tied to the waters can continue to pass its traditions to future generations.