By: Ikiriza Zephania Atwooki
Panyimur, Pakwach District — Elder fishers from districts surrounding Lake Albert are set to convene for a two-day regional consultative meeting aimed at implementing H.E. the President’s directive on the involvement of elders in the management and governance of Lake Albert fisheries. This follows the President’s directive made during his campaign trails in Buliisa District and Hoima City on the 11th December 2025.
The meeting, organised by the Lake Albert Regional Elder Fishers’ Forum (LAREFO), will take place from Wednesday 7th to Thursday 8th January 2026 at Panyimur Fish Landing Site, Pakwach District.
Participants are expected from Buliisa, Hoima, Kikuube, Kagadi, and Ntoroko districts, with invited elders arriving in Panyimur on Tuesday 6th January 2026. The consultative meeting follows earlier high-level engagements held in Hoima involving Presidential Advisor Dr. Kaliisa Kabagambe and Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, the NRM Party Flag Bearer and Chairperson for the Western Region.
According to the programme, the meeting will open with welcoming remarks from local leaders, including the LC1 Chairperson and the Mayor of Panyimur, before proceeding to discussions on outcomes from the Kisozi meeting where H.E. the President met cultural leaders and elder fishers from Buliisa and Pakwach.
Key highlights of the meeting will include:
- Experience sharing on traditional fishing practices and fisheries management on Lake Albert from the 1950s to the 1980s;
- Presentations on the Ngasia and Angara group-based fishing models and their success stories;
- Presentation and in-depth discussion of a Draft Elders’ Fisheries Governance Structure;
- Adoption of elders’ resolutions for local implementation and enforcement;
- Anticipated elections of Landing Site Fisheries Management Committees.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Elder Kamuturaki Seremos, who will present the Draft Elders’ Fisheries Governance Structure, said the consultative forum is intended to restore order, unity, and traditional authority in fisheries management.
“This draft governance structure is meant to formally recognise the role of elders in guiding fishing activities, resolving conflicts, and safeguarding Lake Albert for future generations. The elders carry institutional memory and moral authority that must be integrated into modern fisheries governance,” Kamuturaki Seremos said.
Remarks are also expected from the LCV Chairperson of Pakwach District, cultural leaders including His Majesty Stanley Thopaco Jalmoro Ombidi, and senior elder representatives from the Lake Albert region.
LAREFO officials say the consultative meeting is a significant step toward strengthening community-led fisheries governance, restoring discipline on Lake Albert, and formally integrating elder leadership into fisheries management structures in line with the President’s guidance.
The meeting operationalises the President’s directive issued during his campaign trails in Buliisa District and Hoima City, in which he called for the formal involvement of respected elder fishers in restoring discipline on Lake Albert, combating illegal fishing practices, mentoring younger fishers, resolving conflicts at landing sites, and working alongside government fisheries institutions to ensure sustainable use of the lake for current and future generations.
