Kenya now concedes control of disputed island
The Kenyan government has conceded interim control of the disputed Migingo Island to Uganda as talks to resolve the bilateral tiff continue.
Kenyan Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula was quoted in the Daily Nation newspaper of Monday saying, “The status quo at Migingo Island will remain, to await the resolution of pending issues between the two countries.”
A view of Migingo Island on Lake Victoria, whose ownership has been the centre of conflict between Kenya and Uganda. Yesterday, the Kenyan authorities said Uganda can have jurisdiction over the island as negotiations continue. COURTESY PHOTO
It added, “The decision was reached in telephone conversations between President Kibaki and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, who are in talks over the disputed island in Lake Victoria.”Both countries had made an agreement that the island remains under Uganda’s control until the East African Community decides on its ownership.
Uganda maintains that the island is under Bugiri District in its territory, while Kenya claims it is under Nyatike District.
The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, who visited the island for three days, told Daily Monitor that there was no need of confrontation but added, “We are prepared to defend our territorial integrity.”
Gen. Kayihura said, “These people use the island as point to carryout illegal fishing in our area and this is a violation of our territorial integrity,” “Settlement on the island started in 2004 but before that the rock was submerged in water and it couldn’t have been used as a boundary.”
