Fishermen Recover 6 Mortar Bombs From Lake Victoria, Alert DCI

Six mortar bombs were on Thursday morning, March 16 discovered by fishermen, who were on a fishing expedition close to Lake Victoria’s Ngodhe Islands in Mbita, Homabay County and drew the attention of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The DCI in their report on Saturday, March 18 quoted fishermen spokesperson Edward Ochieng who revealed that the three had set sail as night settled on Thursday, aboard a mortar-powered fishing vessel.

Armed with a lantern, the trio ventured into the still waters of the world’s second-largest freshwater lake in the hope of a handsome catch of the omena delicacy. 

Six mortar bombs were retrieved from Lake Victoria on Thursday, March 16, 2023. /DCI

"As is the tradition passed on from their forefathers, the fishermen cast their nets into the still waters and lit up the lantern, as the gentle winds whipped the waters leaving a whisper that reassured the fishermen of an exceedingly bountiful expedition. 

"With the paraffin lantern illuminating against the water to attract the much revered Omena delicacy, the boat sailed with ease towards Ngodhe when their net suddenly became heavier than usual! “Mano nyaka bed ni mbuta maduong!” “That must be a giant mbuta!” One of them exclaimed," stated the DCI.

Beaming with excitement at the thought of the fortune that awaited them at the fishmonger’s shop the following morning, the fishermen joined hands in hauling the heavy net back to the boat.

But the shock of their lives came when they discovered that they had caught six heavy pieces of metal resembling bombs and only a half-full sack of omena.

Not willing to wait for the bombs to go off, two of them leapt into the hippo-infested waters fearing for their lives, leaving their counterpart to figure out his next course of action. 

He however managed to steer the boat ashore and reported the incident to the beach management chairman, who escalated the matter to DCI detectives based at Mbita. 

Luckily, the duo who plunged into the water had swum to the safety of other boats unscathed as the hippos were grazing on the island.

The 80mm bombs were kept in safe custody at the Mbita Subcounty Police Headquarters, awaiting disposal by Bomb Disposal and Hazardous Materials detectives based in Kisumu city.

On July 13, 2022, a suspected explosive device was discovered in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) abandoned outside Ebony House, Taveta Lane, off Tom Mboya street.

Though the device itself was not clearly visible to the naked eye, cameras stationed outside the area cordoned off by the police zoomed in to get a clear picture of the device hidden within the back alleys of the city.

In Kigumo, Murang'a County, an 84 mm mortar bomb was found in a plantation on July 8, 2022, causing panic amongst its residents, who according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), had mistaken it for your ordinary arrowroot.

A mortar bomb mistaken for an arrowroot was found in Kigumo, Murang'a County on May 8, 2022. /DCI