UPDF fishing operations: Kadaga accuses govt of telling lies

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has accused the Executive of "telling lies" about alleged highhandedness by army officers seeking to draw a line under bad fishing habits on all Ugandan lakes. 

Kadaga told lawmakers on Tuesday not to believe promises by the Government regarding investigating and punishing errant army officers accused of brutalizing and killing Ugandans on lakes. 

The Speaker was reacting to yet another promise by state minister for defence, Col. Charles Engola, to investigate claims by Anthony Okello and Robert Migadde about the UPDF fish protection unit torturing and killing three fishermen on lakes Victoria and Kyoga last month. 

"What investigation? They are telling you lies. One of the killers on our lakes was recently promoted from Captain to Major," Kadaga said eliciting foot stumping from MPs across the political aisle. 

Migadde had earlier told the House that a one Stephen Lukoma had been shot dead while in his bed during operations by the Fish Protection Unit. 

For Ronald Lubanga, Parliament heard, UPDF officers attached to the unit "beat him to death."

Before Parliament went for its mini recess preceding the reading of the 2018/19 national budget and President Yoweri Museveni's State of the Nation Address in June, Okello had asked Government to explain UPDF operations on Lakes Kyoga and Kwania.

Okello reasoned that banning fishing activities on the two water bodies for three months would financially ruin communities wholly dependent on lakes for survival. 

Close to four years ago, Museveni, out of concern for dwindling fish stock in Ugandan water bodies deployed a unit composed of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) to stop illegal fishing habits. 

The unit's mandate includes confiscating undersized nets, using noxious substances to fish, arresting erring fishermen and causing their prosecution. 

However, the said unit has been the subject of ‘protests' by communities neighboring water bodies whose complaints have routinely found their way to Parliament. 

In August last year, Parliament demanded an explanation from Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda over what lawmakers described as excesses by UPDF officers carrying out operations on Ugandan water bodies. 

The ‘directive' followed a complaint by George Ouma Abbot (Bukooli Island) about UPDF beating up and arresting people in his constituency. 

Kadaga, too, has been outspoken against alleged UPDF excesses on lakes.  During an ecumenical prayer at Parliament in December last year, Kadaga revealed that she had told off an unnamed minister who had sought to talk her out of publicly criticizing UPDF over its operations on water bodies. 

Despite complaints by lawmakers, Museveni has been steadfast in his support for the UPDF operations on water bodies.

During his State of the Nation Address last month, Museveni, although decrying the occasional excesses of some officers in the unit, attributed the increased fish stock to the operations on the lake. 

According to data by the central bank, over the last 15 years, the fisheries sector has played an important economic role as one of the key foreign exchange earners, contributing 2.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 12 per cent to agricultural GDP.

Fish exports to overseas markets increased from 1,664 tonnes valued at $1.4m in 1990 to a peak of 36,615 tonnes valued at $143.6m in 2005.