Kenyan traders threaten border blockade as Uganda delays Shs22b compensation for impounded fish

Kenyan fish exporters are demanding Shs22 billion in compensation from the Ugandan government over four trucks of transiting fish impounded and disposed of by security personnel nearly five years ago, warning of border disruptions if the funds are not paid.

The dispute stems from an October 3, 2021, incident at Kikorongo, near the Mpondwe border post. Uganda’s Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) intercepted four Uganda-registered trucks—UBH 606P, UAF 813L, UBA 893G, and UBE 894Z—carrying fish valued at more than Shs2.7 billion. The FPU confiscated and subsequently destroyed the cargo, alleging it consisted of immature fish smuggled from Uganda’s Lake Kyoga into Kenya for repackaging.
Exporters maintain the fish originated from Kenya’s Lake Turkana and was simply transiting through Uganda to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Hassan Omari, chairman of the Busia Kenya Fish Transshipment Market, slammed the move as a breach of international transit laws, noting that Ugandan goods routinely pass through Kenya unhindered.
“We pleaded with Ugandan authorities not to dispose of the fish, but they did not heed our pleas,” Omari said. “We have several goods destined for East African Community countries that transit through Kenya and are never stopped. Should we also stop Ugandan goods on our roads?”

A joint bilateral verification team—led by Dr. Francis Owino, Kenya’s former Principal Secretary for Fisheries, and Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama, then Permanent Secretary in Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture—visited Lake Turkana’s Kalokol shores following a December 2021 communique. The team confirmed that the sun-dried fish (comprising Nile tilapia, tiger fish, and dwarf Nile perch) originated in Kenya, prompting a directive for Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally seek reparations.

Despite these findings, affected traders say Kampala has failed to pay out the Shs22 billion in cumulative compensation and damages.

Traders describe severe economic fallout. Ruben Hayofu, an affected exporter, warned that frustrated traders are preparing to forcibly close the Busia and Malaba border posts to block Ugandan transit cargo if payments remain stalled. He added that the financial strain has forced several peers out of business, caused property foreclosures by banks, and led to stress-induced deaths among affected members.
Former exporter Violet Owoko noted that losing her capital forced her to abandon the international trade route, reducing her to selling small retail quantities locally to support her family.