A fisherman identified as John Andhama, attached to Runga landing site in Kibiro Parish, Kiganja Sub-county, Hoima District, drowned in Lake Albert on Friday while escaping from lawful arrest by the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) personnel.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. near Runga landing site. On the night of the incident, Andhama, along with two other fishermen known only as Bed and Alfred, had ventured out on a fishing expedition in Lake Albert. While on the lake, they were intercepted by FPU personnel who were patrolling the area.
The fishermen were accused of using illegal fishing gear, leading to their arrest. The FPU officers decided to transport the suspects to their detachment at Butiaba landing site in Buliisa District. However, while en route, all the fishermen reportedly jumped into the lake in an attempt to avoid detention. Bed and Alfred managed to swim to safety, but Andhama drowned.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police spokesperson, confirmed the incident, stating that local fishermen and the marine police initiated a search for Andhama’s body, which was recovered on Sunday evening. After a postmortem was conducted, the body was handed over to the deceased’s relatives for burial.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In November 2023, three fishermen—Richard Onen (25), Samson Jatho (35), and Godfrey Obedirwoth (28)—died after jumping into Lake Albert to avoid arrest by FPU personnel. They were also accused of using illegal fishing gear.
The Fisheries Protection Unit was established in 2017 following a directive from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to deploy Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers on all lakes in the country to combat illegal fishing practices and protect fish resources from depletion.
However, the FPU has been criticized for alleged mistreatment and extortion of fishermen. Fishermen claim that instead of being prosecuted in courts of law, they are often subjected to public beatings, which the FPU has consistently denied.
