President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that Uganda’s indigenous fishermen take charge of managing the country’s lakes, with logistical support from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ (UPDF) Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU).
The directive, issued during a consultative meeting with fishing communities at State Lodge Jinja on Tuesday August 5th 2025, is part of a broader strategy to restore order, promote sustainability, and economically empower local fishing communities long marginalized by illegal practices and regulatory confusion.
Museveni emphasized that Uganda’s fishing sector had become chaotic due to unregulated exploitation, illegal gear, and cross-border intrusions.
While he credited the UPDF for restoring some level of order, he made clear that military involvement is not a permanent solution.
“Now that we have peace, let’s organize this sector and eventually return the army to the barracks,” he said.
Museveni stressed that indigenous fishermen with ancestral knowledge of lakes and breeding patterns are best placed to protect aquatic resources.
President also announced a UGX 1 billion allocation per SACCO for organized fishing groups, recognizing that fishing is a capital-intensive enterprise and often excluded from the Parish Development Model’s UGX 100 million allocations.
Museveni also advocated for fish farming (aquaculture) as a sustainable alternative to lake dependence.
He cited successful fish pond projects earning over UGX 80 million annually and urged communities to adopt such models, pledging government support for pond construction.
Museveni further directed the Ministry of Agriculture to finalize fisheries regulations within a month, and proposed the creation of a specialized water safety unit within Uganda Police, alongside expanding lake surveillance technologies like surface radar.
Museveni’s move signals a return to localized solutions for environmental stewardship, placing trust back in Uganda’s traditional custodians of the lakes, the indigenous fishermen.
