Photo from Ministry of Lands

The Star reported at the weekend that Uganda planned to introduce a new Sh80,000 per year tax on each boat used by Kenyan fisherman operating off Migingo Island, a tiny speck of land in Lake Victoria that Uganda claims as their territory. Currently Kenyan fisherman pay Sh4,000 per month, per boat, for ‘protection’ to Uganda.

The Star reports this morning that the Sh80,000 tax plan has now been dropped by the Ugandan director of fisheries, so good news for Kenyan fisherman but the odd and needless Migingo Island dispute rumbles on.

Kenya Forum readers might recall that back in April 2012 we addressed the issue of whether Migingo Island is in Kenyan territory, or part of Uganda (‘Migingo Island: There should be no dispute between Kenya and Uganda, the case is clear’), concluding that it clearly, and provably, lies inside Kenya’s border.

“AT LEAST WITH MOI…”

What interests the Kenya Forum is the number of times, when the subject of Migingo Island is raised in conversation, Kenyans say something that usually begins with the words, “At least with Moi…” as in: “At least with Moi there would be no dispute over Migingo. He would have just made one call to President Museveni and told him to back off”.

It is becoming a little disturbing how often in conversations on other subjects, crime, education and international relations, for example, the phrase “At least with Moi…” now arises.