President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that the indigenous fishermen will manage the lakes, assisted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)’s Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU).
The President made the directive on Tuesday 5th August 2025 during a consultative meeting with the fishing communities from across Uganda and fisheries stakeholders at State Lodge, Jinja.
The categories which attended the meeting included indigenous fishermen, some of the families of indigenous fishermen, boat owners Association, Leaders of Associations of fishing communities, District Fisheries Officers and Bakenye leadership.
The meeting marked a significant turning point in efforts to streamline the country’s fishing sector, boost the livelihoods of indigenous fishing communities, and sustainably manage aquatic resources.
The central point of discussion was the role of the UPDF in regulating fishing practices and protecting fish breeding grounds from illegal activities, cross-border invasions, and unregulated exploitation.
The President noted that the indigenous fishermen were key in the sustainable approach to fishing and thus they were supposed to take the lead in protecting the lake with assistance from capital-intensive investors and FPU who can mainly focus on border waters by backing people who are into legal fishing.
President Museveni also emphasized that the army’s continued presence was necessary to safeguard national interests and provide stability in the fishing sector.
He urged that military deployment is not a permanent solution. He said the long-term strategy is to build a self-sustaining and organized fishing industry led by skilled Ugandans.
“Now that we have peace, let’s organize this sector and eventually return the army to the barracks,” he noted.
President Museveni traced Uganda’s fishing heritage centuries ago, arguing that modern economic policies must build on indigenous knowledge systems.
“This part of Africa is our ancestral home. The heritage of the area is based on ‘Emyooga’—skill-based economic specializations. We must empower those with omwooga (skills) in fishing to lead the transformation of this sector,” he said.
The President recalled his early days in government when he initiated the establishment of Uganda’s first fish processing plant at Masese Landing Site using $14 million from a $20 million grant from Italy. The move, he said, unlocked the country’s fish potential and attracted more investment. However, subsequent chaos, overcrowding, and the use of illegal gear threatened sustainability, prompting military intervention.
“I had to bring in the army because the fishing activity seemed to have no owner. It was being dominated by opportunists. But now we are organized. We have peace and time to plan,” President Museveni said.
He noted that while other agricultural sectors such as dairy, bananas, maize, and coffee had stabilized without military involvement, the unique pressures on the lakes demanded a security presence until better systems were in place.
The President highlighted the importance of fish farming through ponds, using examples from Limoto and Kawumu, which earn over UGX 80 million annually. He showed videos of successful fishpond models and irrigation systems and urged communities to transition from lake dependence to aquaculture, adding that the government was ready to support them in digging the fishponds.
He noted that poor utilization of wetlands and drylands is a major cause of poverty.
“We misuse the wetlands and underutilize the drylands. That’s why we must organize domestic fish farming and work with communities to conserve resources,” he said.
Addressing concerns from Buliisa and Kasensero about foreign intrusions, the President reassured them of strengthened surveillance and regional coordination.
“On Lake Albert we already have eyes. We have surface radar where you can see all what is happening on the lake. We are going to do the same on Lake Victoria, so those people who are being attacked in Kasensero, we are going to do something about it.”
Acknowledging the unique capital needs of the fishing sector, President Museveni proposed the creation of a specialized fisheries fund outside of the Parish Development Model (PDM). While PDM allocates UGX 100 million per parish, he noted that fishing requires far more capital.
“The indigenous fishing communities must be organized into SACCOs based on proximity and purpose for effective delivery, and the government will allocate UGX 1 billion per SACCO,” the President said.
This initiative, he explained, is part of the broader effort to transition more Ugandans from subsistence livelihoods into the money economy.
Regarding illegal fishing gear, President Museveni declared that the government would criminalize the importation of banned nets and threads.
“I have received a report from ISO. We must stop this menace. Even the threads used to make illegal gear will be banned,” he said.
He also instructed the Third Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Rukia Nakadama, to ensure that public toilets and health facilities are established at landing sites, especially in remote areas, and to ensure that clean water and schools on islands and landing sites are provided, aligning this with the government’s goal of a government primary school per parish and a secondary school per sub-county.
“We need to plan for these landing sites because they are far from each other. And then also for the islands. We can say let’s have boarding schools on these islands. We can have a few in Kalangala, Koome, Buvuma and so on. This will be done by the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.
President Museveni further directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to expedite regulations to streamline the fishing sector.
“I give you one month to finish that regulation,” he said.
President Museveni also lauded some fishermen for coming up with alternative sources of income, saying that such undertaking has greatly improved their livelihoods.
“People are waking up and the waking up which I have found here, which apparently the State House has started working on, is that those fishermen have other needs. If he fishes, he still needs to eat, to eat not only fish but other things. Like some women here who are looking after pigs, hotels, shops, if they get support, they can have businesses not only in fishing but other things,” he noted.
On the other hand, President Museveni revealed that he was going to order Uganda Police to create a new unit to enhance safety and emergency response on water bodies.
“We can discuss it in the cabinet, but I think the police may be the best place,” he noted.
On environmental protection, the President emphasized preserving fish breeding grounds (byondo) and gazetting lake shores and swamps, vital for fish reproduction.
“People should not build near the shores where fish breed. These are like our national parks in the water and must be protected. They must be preserved so that no one goes there. We have heard that the fish business is bigger than coffee in the world,” he said.
On the issue of floating islands/plants which consume oxygen on the lake, President Museveni said it is caused by people who destroy the swamps, thus calling for the preservation of nature to deal with such challenges.
In the same meeting, President Museveni also resolved to organize skills development centers for youth in fishing communities and develop domestic fish farming projects to reduce pressure on natural lakes and create employment. They also discussed the proper ways of fishing mukene without affecting other kinds of fish.
On the other hand, the President reiterated the role of the NRM 10-point program, particularly point number 5, which calls for building an independent, integrated, and self-sustaining national economy.
He recalled how foreign economic models marginalized local actors and concentrated land and wealth in the hands of a few.
“They wanted some people to be rich and others to be poor. I resisted that. We must modernize our people,” H.E. Museveni said.
Mr. Kato David, chairperson of the Bakenye (indigenous fishermen), highlighted the need for local communities to be at the forefront of the fishing industry, using their ancestral knowledge to preserve breeding zones and regulate fishing seasons.
Mr. Sunday Gerald Kayita, NRM chairperson for Kalangala, called for harmonized fishing laws across East Africa to reduce cross-border illegalities.
The meeting was also attended by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the East African Community Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Third Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Rukia Nakadama, Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, the Minister of State for Fisheries, Hon. Hellen Adoa and Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Hon. Diana Mutasingwa.
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