Kenya Coast Guard Service To Stay Put Amidst Killing Of 2 On Lake Naivasha

NAKURU,Kenya, Feb, 28 – The Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) has refuted claims that it is set to vacate and abandon its operations on Lake Naivasha following two incidents where a fisherman and trader were allegedly killed by its officers.

KCGS Director-General Brigadier (Rtd) Vincent Naisho, during a meeting with officials of the beach management unit in Naivasha regretted the recent incidents where two people lost their lives but said that the service would remain firm and continue to conduct its operations in order to ensure that the fish sector in the area thrives.

“The coast guard unit is here to stay and we are not in the process of pulling off from the lake as demanded by some quarters,” said Naisho.

Recently mass protest were witnessed in the area with fishermen,traders and residents alike engaging police in running battles seeking justice for the deceaseds while at the same time calling on the government to deal with ‘rogue’ officers in the service.

Naisho however assured stakeholders that the service had launched its own investigations and disciplinary proceedings against accused officers.

He further said that since the service was domiciled in the lake in mid 2021 fish catch had risen by 90 per cent with increased patrols by the security agency.

“We are working closely with other departments and since we arrived in the lake there is sanity and fish catch has risen,” he said.

The lake had in recent months made all the wrong headlines with increased cases of illegal fishing that is said to have endangered the livelihood of thousands of people.

“At one time we were getting zero catch from the lake due to threats from the armed poachers but we have a reason to smile as there is order in the lake now,” said chairman of fishermen network Paul Olang.

The service says that since its operations, the number of illegal vessels operating on the lake has dropped from 360 to 185.

As investigations continue in to the two killings stakeholders say that justice must be served and officers accused of murder face the full force of the law.