President Museveni has dropped Lieutenant Colonel Mercy Tukahirwa as commander of the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) in a sweeping overhaul of the country’s lake enforcement and landing site management.
The move comes as Museveni ordered the immediate dissolution of all landing site management committees on Uganda’s major lakes, citing persistent disputes and complaints from fishing communities.
The directive tasks the Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, with disbanding the existing committees and supervising the establishment of new bodies composed of indigenous fishermen and private investors.
The reconstitution is expected to be completed within three months under the supervision of Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding and Maj. Gen. Richard Otto.
In a parallel restructuring, the FPU, which has enforced fishing regulations on lakes including Victoria, Albert, and Kyoga, has been renamed the 155 Marines Battalion and placed under the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Marines Brigade. Major Joseph Ssebukeera has been appointed the commanding officer of the new battalion, while Brig. Michael Nyarwa continues as commander of the UPDF Marines Brigade.
Lt. Col. Mercy Tukahirwa, who had led the FPU, has been reassigned to the office of the Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Proscovia Nalweyiso, where she will undertake new duties.
Uganda’s fisheries sector, a key source of livelihoods and export revenue, has long been plagued by disputes over enforcement, allegations of corruption at landing sites, and clashes between fishermen and security personnel.
Military involvement in the lakes has previously been defended by the government as necessary to curb illegal fishing and protect declining fish stocks.
The latest changes reflect Kampala’s continued reliance on the army to manage sensitive economic sectors, while signaling an attempt to reset relations with fishing communities through a restructuring of local governance at landing sites.
The announcement was made official by Col. Chris Magezi, acting director of defence public information at the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs.
