Kasese Fishers Accuse Landing Site Officials of Extorting Millions for Licences

What the report says

Fishers operating on Lakes Edward and George in Kasese District have accused people involved in landing site administration of demanding millions of shillings to secure fishing licences, even though the official fee is reported to be Shs150,000. According to the Nile Post report, some fishers say they have been asked to pay between Shs4 million and Shs7 million, raising concerns about affordability and fairness in the licensing process.

The allegations drew a response from State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Robert Ndugwa, who said he had heard accounts from elderly women claiming to have paid the higher sums. He directed police to investigate the claims and identify anyone involved in the alleged extortion. He also called for a review of records showing how much money has been collected from fishers, in order to verify whether official procedures and fees were followed.

The dispute comes amid restrictions on the number of boats allowed to operate at designated landing sites, a measure meant to manage fishing activity and protect fisheries resources. Local leaders and the Kasese District Woman MP, Sarah Ithungu, also weighed in, with calls for transparent allocation of licences and for fishers to use the official application process. The issue is significant because many small-scale fishers depend on these lakes for their livelihoods, and the allegations have renewed scrutiny of how access to fishing opportunities is being controlled on the Ugandan side of the lakes, including in relation to fishing activity across the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.