A fisherman was killed on Sunday in a fight among Lake Victoria fishermen near Misori beach in Gembe, Homa-Bay County.
Witnesses and police said the groups fought over the ownership of fishing grounds.
Fredrick Ooko, 39, of Gode Ariyo beach, is reported to have drowned during the confrontation between fishermen from his beach and their colleagues from Misori Beach Management Unit (BMU).
They were fighting over a fish breeding area, police said.
Gode Ariyo BMU chairperson Daniel Ombuor said a group of Misori fishermen accused their colleagues of fishing in an area they had preserved for breeding of fingerlings. Ombuor said a group of Misori beach fishermen had agreed with their colleagues from Gode Ariyo beach to access the fish breeding zone after they were paid money.
However, another group from Misori beach were against the agreement.
The Misori beach group opposed to the agreement then stormed the breeding area where their Gode Ariyo counterparts were fishing and attacked them.
This prompted a fight that turned tragic.
Ooko drowned during the fight while other colleagues managed to escape with their fishing boat.
Officials said they had mobilised officers from the Kenya Coast Guard Service to help in the retrieval operation.
Such fights over the management of beaches are common amid efforts to contain the trend. Most of them turn tragic.
Meanwhile, in Isiolo, where tragedy struck after flash floods swept away a vehicle at the KMC bridge during Friday’s heavy downpour, the body of the driver, Paul Gitonga, was recovered several kilometres downstream.
Police said the body was found in an area known as Lowangishu.
Search and rescue teams are still combing the area for another missing man believed to have been swept away in the same incident.
Soko Mjinga and Safi Estates have also been hit hard by the floods.
Response teams are combing the area to evacuate and attend to those affected.
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