HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I One hundred and twenty groups of former fishermen in Buikwe district have benefitted from a Government project, by giving them an alternative lifeline.
The groups that have benefited from the Strategic Campaign for Alternative Income-Generating Activities for Fishing Communities in Uganda (SCAIAFU) include: former fishermen and their families from the sub-counties of Ngogwe, Najja, Ssi-Bukunja, Njeru, Nnyenga, as well as Kiyindi Town Council.
The members from these fishing communities have been mobilised and supported with high-quality start-up inputs, including broiler chicks and feed, in-calf heifers, breeding piglets, fish fingerlings and feed.
Speaking during a monitoring visit on Thursday 17, April, 2025 in Buikwe, the Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama appealed to the beneficiaries to procure alternative means of income generation, since their fishing activities have been greatly been affected after fish stocks began diminishing thus negatively impacting their incomes.
“We realised that illegal fishing was detrimental to the lake, so we devised means to provide an alternative means of income generation that would help preserve the remaining fish,” Nakadama noted.
Goats for pigs
She however, expressed concerns about Muslims in the community who may feel sidelined by the provision of pigs since it goes against Islamic principles to rear them as a faithful, she advocated for such families to be given goats since the pigs may offend certain Muslims who are willing to transition from fishing.
The event was also attended by Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja, the Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of agribusiness. He was accompanied by Charles Kiguli Kiwuuwa, the Principal Agriculture Officer at State House.
“My first assignment was how to reduce poor fishing, this was after several attempts to enforce illegal fishing activities that had created friction between the army and the fishermen,” Dr. Musoke noted.
Sylvia Nakiwolo, the Assistant Private Secretary to the President on Value Addition, who also doubles as a SCAIAFU coordinator, commended the landing site residents for having proved to State House officials that this is indeed a viable project worth investing in.
“We believe it is now possible for you to survive off an alternative source of income,” she said.
David Ssendagire, the chairperson of zone A at Ssenyi Landing site, appealed to the government to empower his fellow residents by tarmacking their road so as to boost their local economy.
“The island was once recognised all over East Africa as one of the cleanest, but due to the recent flooding, our landing site was greatly affected.”
According to records, 16 groups got 3000 catfish and 2000 Tilapia fish, with testimonies from some of the beneficiaries validating these claims.
