KENYA AND UGANDA STRIKE DEAL OVER DISPUTED MIGINGO ISLAND

A general view of disputed Migingo island which is densely populated by residents fishing mainly for Nile perch in Lake Victoria on the border of Uganda and Kenya 

By Anita Chepkoech, HOMA BAY Kenya

Kenya has agreed to share the disputed Migingo Island with Uganda. This comes even as the government maintains that the land is in Kenya.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma on Wednesday said they had signed a MoU with Ugandan authorities to enable fishermen and other Lake Victoria users to access either side of the boundary.

What is left now is to set the modalities for access management and sharing of resources.

“Kenyans should know that these boundaries are shared by communities across the countries, and we have to find a way to make them soft,” said the CS.

“My message to Kenyans is that we have their interests at the top of our minds and this can be realised by reducing the risks they face in accessing the trans-boundary resources,” she added.

Asked whether the agreement will define where the island legally belongs, Ms Juma said: “Kenyans must know the territorial integrity of the country will never be negotiated away.”