EAC AT RISK OF BREAKING UP AS KENYA AND UGANDA DESPUTE
February 24th, 2009
BY BENJAMIN OCHIENG
KENYA has losened its grips with the East African community EAC after its police were arrested by Uganda in a tag -of- war over Migingo Island, in lake Victoria.
Kenya is the economic back bone in EAC with Tanzania Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda as stakeholders with a common bond and its withdrawal means the collapse in East Africa regional development.
Kenya Government is not happy with Uganda that increased their troops by 200 into the Island, instead of withdrawal to pave way for truce talks so as to reach an amicable solution.
Military in Kenya translate the increase of troops by Uganda in the controversial island as preparation for gun battle. Had it been that Kenya responded hurriedly in Ugandan way , the two states would have driven the Island Saga into the Palestine – Israel-Gaza style.
Dispute started when 12 Administration police from Kenya went to set up a police post and to hoist a Kenyan flag but the Lord Resistance Army LRA soldiers and marines on patrol arrested them, claiming the island belonged to Bugiri District, Uganda.
Nyanza Provincial Commissioner Paul Olando dismissed the allegations and insisted that police did not go there to start a police post."This is not the first time we are sending them there. They were on special assignment” Said Olando.
The Island raw renews memories of an incident which 10 Kenyans were killed by Ugandan Authorities in 2006 over fishing on their waters and in 2007 ,8 Kenyans were killed by Tanzanian marines , their bodies dumped into the lake in raw over the waters.
During the reign of Amin Dada 1970 – 1979 was the worst Kenya suffered in raw over Remba, Sigulu and Wayami Islands. Gun shots frequently turned these Islands into battle fields over their ownership in the waters of Lake Victoria.
Thousands of civilians’ blood turned the lake waters red with fish and crocodiles enjoying free human feast.
The controversial Migingo Island is a home to 1,000 Kenyans, 300 Ugandans and a few Tanzanians .They indulge themselves in the lake trade like fishing, water transport and other businesses between the Island and the surrounding towns
East Africa Minister Amason Kingi expressed his disappointments with Uganda’s development and described the decision unfortunate. He maintained that Migingo was in Kenya.
Lands Minister James Orengo displayed the maps left by the British colony that colonized East Africa." Migingo Islands falls under Migori District The Map shows very clear this Island is on Kenyan side” Said Orengo.
TROOPS DEPLOYED ON THE ISLAND
The decision taken by Ugandan government to deploy more armed troops has traded fear at the Island and thousands of people who had settled have started scampering for their safety.
A source at the Internal Security Ministry unearthed that several marine Police boats have been deployed to keep vigil just incase matters go to a different step." Kenya plans to deploy 300 personnel’s .Refresher trainings are underway since the lives of Kenyans is in danger. We won’t live in fear.”Said the Officer on strict condition of anonymity.
“We had to start moving out until the matter is resolved .How can we watch gunmen surrounding harmless civilians.?” Asked Charles W udanyi a former businessman at Migingo.
Tanzania EAC Minister John Mapesa was shocked by the security threasts that has rocked the Island. “The three countries should come together to a drawing board ,armed with their territorial maps, studied by the EAC state organs for an everlasting solution. This is a collective responsibility that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda should come together and solve amicably. We are brother countries that share common economic development goals and will not sit a side to watch this be jeopardized.” Said Mapesa. The angry Minister added that should this formula hit a snag , we risk witnessing blood shed. He finalized by saying that every country has the mandate to protect its citizens.
The rivalry between Kenya,Uganda and Tanzania over Islands and boundaries in lake Victoria is not a new phenomenon. The countries had broken out in 1977 because of their peculiar political, ideological and boundary differences.
The renewed integration that started 1998 matured in 2001 by signing of EAC treaty, a goal that intents and purposes appear to be a pipe dream.
Tanzanians and Ugandans are paranoids about possibilities of losing their lands to the aggressive Kenyan Property Merchants.
However ,leaders of the EAC states are not expected to ignore the people since the treaty’s obligation is based on co-operation and it is because of this that Prime Minister Raila Odinga leads a Kenyan delegation to Kampala Uganda to discuss Migingo Island saga for the benefit of the people of the feuding states…
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