Dr. Oburu Oginga has renewed calls for the joint management of Lake Victoria, urging Yoweri Museveni to work with Kenya in addressing long-standing tensions, including the disputed Migingo Island.
Speaking in Kisumu during the launch of the Kisumu to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Oginga framed the lake as a shared resource that requires cooperative oversight to ensure peace and economic stability for border communities.
“Your Excellency President Museveni, I appeal to you, please make this lake of ours… a common user facility so that you can manage the security of the lake jointly with us,” he said. “We don’t want harassment from our side and from your side.”
His remarks come amid renewed complaints from Kenyan fishermen operating around Migingo Island, who report frequent intimidation, extortion, and restricted access to fishing grounds by Ugandan security forces. According to local leaders, some fishermen are allegedly forced to pay illegal fees of up to KSh2,000 per boat to operate in the contested waters.
“We are still unable to freely conduct our fishing activities due to frequent patrols and intimidation,” said Hesbon Ouko, a Beach Management Unit chairperson.
The Migingo dispute, which dates back to the early 2000s, has remained a persistent source of diplomatic friction between Kenya and Uganda, largely driven by unclear maritime boundaries and competition over the lake’s rich fishing resources.
Oginga emphasized that stronger cooperation is not only necessary for resolving disputes but also for preserving shared cultural ties. “These countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania were supposed to be one country… it is just because of colonial divisions that they became separate,” he noted, referencing cross-border communities such as the Samia and Teso.
The appeal coincided with the official launch of the Kisumu-Malaba SGR by William Ruto and Museveni, a major infrastructure project aimed at enhancing regional trade and connectivity. The railway is expected to reduce transport costs, improve logistics, and link Kenya to Uganda and other East and Central African nations.
President Ruto underscored the economic significance of the project, noting that transport costs currently account for up to 40 percent of the final value of goods. “We cannot build prosperity on inefficiency,” he said, adding that the railway would serve as both a transport and economic corridor.
As Kenya and Uganda deepen bilateral ties through agreements in trade, fisheries, and investment, Oginga’s proposal for shared lake management is likely to remain central to ongoing discussions on regional integration and sustainable resource governance.
