More than 200 landing sites in the districts of Hoima, Buliisa and Kikuube were listed for closure by the government, for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of people to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo at the height of a lockdown occasioned by an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease. The first phase of the process saw at least 61 landing sites closed in May.
Some of the fishing boats parked at Kijangi landing site in Hoima district after the suspension of fishing activities on Lake Albert. Photo by Emmanuel Okello.
Fishermen who were recently
evicted from illegal landing sites across Lake Albert in Bunyoro sub-region have
been advised to embrace farming in order to sustain their livelihood.
More than 200 landing sites in
the districts of Hoima, Buliisa and Kikuube were listed for closure by the
government, for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of people to and from
the Democratic Republic of Congo at the height of a lockdown occasioned by an
outbreak of Coronavirus Disease. The first phase of the process saw at least 61
landing sites closed in May.
But Several fishermen have decried
the loss of livelihood since the eviction. Many are still stranded, with nowhere to go, because
they had established permanent homes at the landing sites. To date, some of them
are still being accommodated in churches while others are being accommodated in
their relative’s homes.
State Minister for Bunyoro
Affairs Ernest Kiiza advises that instead of crying over the loss of
livelihood, the affected fishermen should change their lifestyle, acquire land and
practice commercial Agriculture saying they can not only depend on fishing for
their entire life.
//Cue in; “Aliyo abantu ba…
Cue out…batali ha mwaru.”//
The Ugandan government announced a
suspension of fishing activities on Lake Albert in April 2020, in line with the
nationwide lockdown announced by President Yoweri Museveni, as a measure to
control person to person interactions and close possible loopholes in the
management of Coronavirus disease.
According to the government, some
Ugandan fishermen cross to the Democratic Republic of Congo where they mix
freely with the local communities there exposing them to infection.
