A fisherman was shot and wounded by a security officer in Naivasha, Nakuru County, on Tuesday night.

The man was taken to Naivasha Sub-county Hospital with a thigh injury.

ILLEGAL FISHING

A medic at the hospital, who did not want to be named, told the Nation that the fisher was responding well to treatment.

“He is out of danger,” the medic said.

Naivasha divisional police commander Samuel Waweru said an investigation was opened but that they were yet to get the facts.

Mr Waweru said security officers assigned to the areas around Lake Naivasha claimed the victim had been fishing illegally and at night.

The shooting sparked outrage among fishermen, who torched a boat belonging to the Beach Management Unit (BMU).

They accused some BMU members of using excessive force in their work.

“The members who were accompanied by police should have arrested the fisherman instead of using excessive force,” one said.

LIVE BULLETS

Naivasha Boat Owners Association chairman David Kilo asked those tasked with guarding the lake not to use live bullets.

“The shooting was unwarranted. Security officers should arrest poachers instead of shooting at them,” said Mr Kilo.

The government announced that the three-month ban on fishing in the lake will be re-introduced next year for restocking

County Executive for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Immaculate Njuthe, said the move followed a report by a technical team that assessed the natural resource.