Two individuals tragically lost their lives in Lake Victoria following a fatal altercation over a fish breeding territory within Suba North constituency, situated in Homa Bay County.
Chief Charles Ngoe, overseeing the area, confirmed the distressing incident. Enock Opiyo, aged 25, and Dancan Okoth, aged 40, both from Uwi Beach, succumbed to drowning on a Tuesday evening, embroiled in a conflict with fellow fishermen hailing from Koginga Beach.
The genesis of the conflict emerged when fishermen from Koginga trespassed into the fish breeding zone at Uwi, where fishing activities are strictly prohibited. Chief Ngoe disclosed that tensions escalated when five fishermen from Uwi Beach retaliated by deploying their patrol boat to intercept their counterparts already engaged in fishing within the forbidden area.
The confrontation ensued when the Uwi fishermen implored their counterparts to cease casting nets within the breeding zone, only to be met with defiance as the Koginga fishermen persisted with their activities. Amidst the escalating altercation, the situation took a tragic turn when the Koginga fishermen rammed their colleagues’ boat, resulting in its overturning.
While three fishermen managed to be rescued from the water, tragically, the lives of two were claimed on the spot. Subsequent efforts to recover the bodies commenced with a search operation initiated on Wednesday morning.
