Residents living along the shores of Lake Victoria are reeling in shock after fishermen recovered 20 live explosive devices in two separate incidents within 48 hours in Mbita, Homa Bay County.
The first discovery was made on Sunday, March 1, at Litare Beach in Mbita. According to police and eyewitness accounts, a group of fishermen believed they had made a large catch after their nets snagged a heavy metal box.
However, their excitement quickly turned to alarm when they opened it and found live bombs and ammunition inside.
“We thought it was a big fish,” one fisherman recounted. “When we saw what was inside, we knew it was dangerous and decided to alert the police immediately.”
Police officers who responded to the scene described the devices as highly dangerous and urged residents not to tamper with suspicious objects recovered from the lake. The explosives were secured and transported for safe custody.
Barely a day later, on March 2, another group of fishermen at Koguna Beach made a similar discovery. This time, 14 additional explosives were netted from the waters, also concealed inside a metal container. Authorities confirmed that the devices were propellant-type explosives and included bullets.
The recovered materials were moved to the Mbita Sub-County Police Headquarters in Homa Bay County, where they are being held pending safe disposal by the Bomb Disposal and Hazardous Materials Unit based in Kisumu.
Security officials reiterated that such devices pose a significant risk to the public. “These are live and extremely dangerous materials. Members of the public should avoid handling any unfamiliar metal objects and report immediately to authorities,” a police officer stated.
This is not the first time explosives have been recovered from the lake. In 2021, fishermen in Homa Bay retrieved six mortar bombs, while similar discoveries linked to colonial-era stockpiles were reported in 2019.
In other parts of the country, including Samburu, herders have occasionally uncovered mortar bombs believed to be connected to training exercises by the British Army Training Unit Kenya.
The repeated discoveries have heightened anxiety among fishing communities who depend on the lake for their livelihood.
Residents are now calling for increased surveillance and thorough investigations to determine how the explosives ended up in the lake.
As authorities await safe detonation of the devices, communities around Lake Victoria remain on high alert.
