Fear engulfed a fishing village in Kiumba Beach in Rusinga Island in Homa Bay County after a group of fishermen came ashore with three bombs instead of fish.
The fishermen, who were on their usual fishing expedition on Lake Victoria on Monday evening expected to catch fish, instead their fishing gears caught bombs.
The corroded weapons — neatly stored in a wooden box and deep on the lake bed — are suspected to have been dropped or dumped in the lake by colonialists.
Kiumba Beach Management Unit’s chairperson Samuel Odira said fishermen who discovered the bombs alerted local authorities.
“After getting information that the weapons were in the water, my office quickly engaged other beach officials who managed to take the weapons to dry land,” he said.
Homa Bay County Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Daniel Wachira said bomb experts from Kisumu County will examine the weapons.
The experts will determine their destructive power, weight and when they were dropped in the lake.
Mr Wachira said police officers have been constantly engaging fishermen on the dangers of colonial bombs.
“This is not the first time the weapons have been found in the lake. We do not know the number of bombs that might have been dropped in the water,” he said.
The officer cautioned fishermen against opening or destroying bombs.
“The weapons will be handled by experts. I urge fishermen to report to us whenever they find suspicious items in the lake,” Mr Wachira said on Tuesday.
Credit: Source link