Fisheries Protection Unit Commander Lt. Col Mercy Tukahirwa Brings Hope to Kalangala’s Fishers.

By Brian Keitira.

In the shimmering embrace of Lake Victoria, where the hopes of fishing communities bob like canoes on restless waves, Lt Col Mercy Adah Tukahirwa has emerged as a steadying force. As commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) has woven empathy into enforcement, proving that true leadership is less about casting fear and more about hauling in trust. Her ascent from major to lieutenant colonel mirrors the proverb that he who guards the birds does not make them birds. Under her command, a once-feared unit has transformed into a partner for progress, mending the fractured bonds between the state and its fishing folk.

The scars of the past run deep in Kalangala District, the island jewel of Ssese where fishing is lifeblood. In the 2021 general elections, President Museveni faced a bitter defeat, securing a mere 25.24% of the vote against opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi’s commanding 74.76%. This was no fleeting ripple but a tidal surge of resentment. The FPU, in its earlier incarnation, had wielded an iron fist to curb illegal fishing—burning boats, seizing engines, and leaving fishermen battered and broken in spirit. “We do not see any reason to support NRM when they are oppressing us,” a fisherman from Kitobo Landing Site in Bufumira Sub-county declared, his words capturing a community’s anguish. Human rights watchdogs decried the brutality, noting excessive force that turned landing sites into battlegrounds. The fishing communities, feeling the sting of betrayal, retaliated at the polls, handing opposition candidates every parliamentary seat in Kalangala. As the English idiom warns, “You reap what you sow” -and the harvest of heavy-handedness was electoral exile for the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Enter Lt Col Tukahirwa, whose leadership has been a balm to these wounds. Her philosophy is simple yet profound: educate before you eradicate. “Our work as we regulate also entails teaching you what you need to do before we come and implement the law,” she told residents at Kaaya Landing Site, emphasizing sensitization over suppression. Her tenure has seen Nile perch and tilapia stocks rebound not only on Lake Victoria but also on Lake kyoga and Edward et.al. In addition to this, confiscated illegal gear worth millions such as shs 423 million at Kawongo on Lake Kyoga was systematically destroyed, and trust painstakingly rebuilt. At Kaaya Landing Site, she listened as fishermen poured out their struggles: shrinking catches, costly gear, and poverty’s persistent shadow. One of the elders and NRM chairperson Mr. Mujuni says that Afande mercy has eased their work in mobilizing for president Museveni by coming on ground to hear out the grievances of the fishermen before the next elections.

Her crowning moment came at the “Buganda for Museveni” rally at Kibanga Playground in Kalangala, a vibrant gathering pulsating with yellow flags and fervent chants for the NRM. There, Lt Col Tukahirwa ordered for the release of 300 impounded boats and 150 engines, restoring not just property but dignity to families whose livelihoods had been tethered to shore. The crowd roared in gratitude, led by women whose ululations echoed across the lake. “You have created a good environment for us to work, to care for our families, to send our children to school, and even to save a little for rainy days,” one elder declared, her voice brimming with pride. These women, the backbone of Ssese’s homes, hailed a transformed FPU, no longer a specter of fear but a partner in prosperity. “She has brought dignity back to the FPU. We trust them now,” a trader affirmed.

In gratitude, they pledged their votes for President Museveni in the 2026 elections, a promise rooted in the idiom, “One good turn deserves another.” Their commitment signals a potential shift in Kalangala’s political tides, a redemption of the 2021 rout. Lt Col Tukahirwa’s reforms have spurred economic ripples; fish processing factories flourishing, jobs multiplying, and tax revenues swelling, all while safeguarding Lake Victoria’s delicate ecosystem. Yet challenges persist: some MPs criticize her directives as inconsistent, and cultural biases question a woman’s command over the waters. Undaunted, she forges ahead, her vision unwavering: a fisheries sector where abundance lifts all boats.

As dusk paints Lake Victoria gold, Lt Col Mercy Tukahirwa stands as a beacon, her leadership a testament to the power of compassion over coercion. In her hands, the FPU has evolved from foe to friend, healing the wounds of 2021 and casting nets of hope for 2026. As she might say, echoing the wisdom of the waves: In unity, we fish not for survival, but for prosperity. Kalangala’s communities, once adrift in discord, now sail toward a horiz

on of harmony.