Brian Mayodi
There was panic on Thursday morning, March 16 when six mortar bombs were found by fishermen who were out on a fishing excursion close to the Ngodhe Islands in Lake Victoria.
Three fishermen on a fishing boat powered by mortars left as darkness fell on Thursday, according to the fishermen’s spokesperson Edward Ochieng.
The three set out into the calm waters of the lake with a lantern in hand, hoping to capture a nice catch of Omena.
As is the custom, the fishermen cast their nets into the still waters and lit up the lantern.
Their net suddenly became heavier than normal as the boat sailed easily towards Ngodhe.
They teamed up to drag the bulky net back to the boat while beaming with anticipation of the fortune that would be waiting for them the following morning at the fishmonger’s store.
But the shock of their lives came when they found that they had caught six heavy pieces of metal resembling bombs.
The 80mm bombs were held in secure storage at the Mbita Subcounty Police Headquarters while they await disposal by detectives from Kisumu city’s Bomb Disposal and Hazardous Materials unit.
The large number of explosives that have been found has caused worry among the fishermen. In 2021, similar discoveries were made.
Explosives thought to date back to the colonial period were discovered in the lake in 2019 hidden inside an old, rusted wooden box.
According to officials, such finds are frequent in the waters. Police claim to have started a programme to raise awareness among the public about explosives and their harmful effects.
