This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
On July 2, 2019, a brutal pirate attack occurred on Lake Victoria, leaving two fishermen dead and one seriously injured.
Naftali Okoth, 29, and George Ochieng’, 26, of Ringiti island, Suba North sub-county, met their demise near Rukuba beach, in the border of Kenyan and Tanzanian waters.
According to Ringiti Beach Management Unit chairman Benard Odhiambo, trouble began when the pirates demanded the fishermen’s boat engine and fishing gears. The fishermen declined, prompting the pirates to pounce on them with crude weapons.
“The pirates are suspected to have come from Tanzania,” a survivor of the attack, Kevin Onyuka, said.
Onyuka managed to escape by swimming away from the attackers after being hit with crude weapons. He was later rescued by nearby fishermen.
The pirates stole an engine worth Sh225,000, 80 litres of fuel, fishing gears of unknown value, and fish worth thousands of shillings.
“Our colleagues struggled to safeguard themselves from the pirates, but the attackers were prepared and armed with powerful weapons than them, leading to their death,” Odhiambo said.
Homa Bay County Deputy Police Commander Samuel Obara confirmed the incident, stating that operations to search for the bodies of the two fishermen were ongoing.
“We have sent a team of investigators on the case to establish who the attackers were to ensure they are arrested for appropriate action,” Obara said.
