Drama in Senate as KWS rejects KNHCR report on missing Lake Nakuru fishermen

Drama was witnessed during a meeting called by the Senate on forced disappearances of young fishermen in Lake Nakuru after Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) Director General Erastus Kanga disowned a report tabled by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

Kanga told the Senate National Security, Defence and Foreign Committee that it was unfair for him to be expected to respond to a report tabled by KNHCR that was mentioning the organisation he was heading adversely, without him having a copy of what had been tabled so that he could respond adequately.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna wondered what Kanga was fearing and that he should allow KNCHR to make a presentation and if he was not comfortable with what was tabled, he does not have to respond, but should seek time to respond at a later time when he is ready, instead of thrashing the report.

“It is very clear that the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has levelled some serious allegations against the Kenya Wildlife Service and I am yet to read the report and I would prefer stepping out to give them a chance to do their presentation, then respond when required later,” said Kanga.

The Committee Chairperson, Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, asked Journalists to leave the room for some time so that they could deliberate on the way forward and they agreed to have the KNHCR make its presentation at a later date, asking Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano to make her presentation.

Miano told the committee that, given that the matters being raised cut across the Ministries of Interior, Tourism, Environment, Blue Economy and Agriculture, it was only prudent that it be held when the four Cabinet Secretaries were present, since she could not handle all the matters being raised alone.

“I am requesting to be allowed to come next time when my fellow cabinet secretaries are present, since the matters at hand are cutting across various ministries and it would not be fair for me to respond alone to the issues being raised, since they go beyond my mandate,” said Miano.

Dullo acceded to Miano’s request and allowed her to leave, setting July 7 as the date that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, together with Miano, will appear before the committee.

The Senate Committee ordered a fresh sampling of fish at Lake Nakuru after petitioners over the forced disappearances of youths engaged in illegal fishing, Tom Mboya and Peter Mbae said they were not involved in an earlier exercise done by Kenya Fisheries Services (KFS).

Dullo sought to know from KWS whether illegal fishing had been stopped at the Lake, asking the National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Fisheries Services, to visit the site again, assuring the petitioners that all relevant agencies would visit Nakuru for the process to be done again.

“The Inspector General of police should be directed to produce the Nakuru Governor, Susan Kihika, before this Committee since he has failed to honour three invites and summons to appear before alongside the other stakeholders on July 7 so that we can conclude the matter,” said Sifuna.

Sifuna said that the KFS should follow the direction of the Senate since they did not involve the petitioners during a visit to Lake Nakuru, saying that KWS should also work towards ensuring that it restores public trust, which was clearly eroded and was the reason for the current crisis.

Garissa Senator Abdul Haji said that it was wise that another sampling to establish the suitability of fish at Lake Nakuru for human consumption was done in the presence of all stakeholders to ensure that there was no suspicion over whether the results had been doctored.

Mboya said that the local community wanted their voice heard in this matter, with hundreds already affected by the decisions made by government agencies over the sensitive matter and that they wanted the issue to be handled once and for all.

“At the moment, it should be noted that until certified fishing is allowed at Lake Nakuru, it should be considered that any ongoing fishing activities are considered to be illegal,” said Dullo.