Buvuma Island
Encyclopedia
Buvuma Island refers to a Lake Victoria
n island chain and the chain's largest island.
, Uganda
in the Napoleon Gulf. Buvuma lies some 25 km south of the major city of Jinja
, and around 90 km east of the capital Kampala
. It is part of the wider Busoga
region, and was administered as part of Mukono but was recently made into a district of its own by the Government of the Republic of Uganda.
for the nearby city of Jinja. There are twenty-six gazetted Forest Reserves in Buvuma.
are problems. The waters around the islands are rich in fish, and the local Ruvuma and Soga
peoples are fishermen.
There is a strong missionary presence on the Buvuma Islands. The longest running missionary project is Youth With A Mission (YWAM) on Lingira http://www.ywamuganda.org/Buvima.html. They have a primary health care and community development project that has been running since 1991. On the island of Buvuma itself there is World Gospel Mission http://www.buvuma.com/ which does some limited child immunization, clean water projects, trains traditional birth attendants, and sponsors a primary school. Both organizations are Christian based.
formation overlying quartzite
and crystalline schists. Other islands are Bugaia, Lingira (pop. 1000), and Namiti. Rusinga
and Mfangano
are within Kenyan borders. The 1911 Britannica said: "Most of these islands are densely forested, and some of them attain considerable elevation. Their scenery is of striking beauty." Except at the highest elevations, Rusinga and Mfangano are today largely deforested.
or by air from the Maasai Mara.
found the skull of Proconsul africanus
on the island. The Miocene
floras of Rusinga and Mfwanganu islands are subject to a long-term study by paleobotanists. There was an archaeological prospection carried out by the Tervuren Museum, Belgium
, in 1968 (published 1971), on Buvuma and Bugaia islands at Munyama Cave, Tonge Cave, and Nakisito, plus another 47 sites. Pottery
materials from 13,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C. were found.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
n island chain and the chain's largest island.
Location
This chain of more than fifty islands is located a few kilometres off the northern shore of Lake VictoriaLake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in the Napoleon Gulf. Buvuma lies some 25 km south of the major city of Jinja
Jinja, Uganda
Jinja is the largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and only city. Jinja was established in 1907.-Location:...
, and around 90 km east of the capital Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
. It is part of the wider Busoga
Busoga
Busoga is a traditional Bantu kingdom in present-day Uganda.It is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of...
region, and was administered as part of Mukono but was recently made into a district of its own by the Government of the Republic of Uganda.
Description
The main island is Buvuma, with a land area of around 200 square-miles (517 km²), and a population of around 20,000. It is forested, and is a destination for intrepid bird-watching tourists. The forest is being cut and burned to provide three boats a day full of charcoalCharcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
for the nearby city of Jinja. There are twenty-six gazetted Forest Reserves in Buvuma.
Transportation, Economy and Health
There is a somewhat unreliable ferry to the mainland. There are also unofficial small boat services from Kiyindi, a major fish-landing village on the shores of Lake Victoria. The area is very poor compared to other parts of Uganda, since funds allocated to it are often 'diverted' before they even reach the island. There are two health centres, but no electricity on the island. Sleeping sickness and tsetse fliesTsetse fly
Tsetse , sometimes spelled tzetze and also known as tik-tik flies, are large biting flies that inhabit much of mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts. They live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals and are the primary biological vectors of trypanosomes, which...
are problems. The waters around the islands are rich in fish, and the local Ruvuma and Soga
Busoga
Busoga is a traditional Bantu kingdom in present-day Uganda.It is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of...
peoples are fishermen.
Education and Religion
Most adults are illiterate, and speak no English (the official language of Uganda). One third of the population is Muslim, one third is animist and the other one third is Christian.There is a strong missionary presence on the Buvuma Islands. The longest running missionary project is Youth With A Mission (YWAM) on Lingira http://www.ywamuganda.org/Buvima.html. They have a primary health care and community development project that has been running since 1991. On the island of Buvuma itself there is World Gospel Mission http://www.buvuma.com/ which does some limited child immunization, clean water projects, trains traditional birth attendants, and sponsors a primary school. Both organizations are Christian based.
Parliamentary Representative
The Buvuma elected Parliamentary representative (2005) is Mr William Nsubuga.Geology and Deforestation
The islands are of ironstoneIronstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
formation overlying quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
and crystalline schists. Other islands are Bugaia, Lingira (pop. 1000), and Namiti. Rusinga
Rusinga Island
Rusinga Island, with an elongated shape approx. 10 miles from end to end and 3 miles at its widest point, lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf...
and Mfangano
Mfangano Island
Mfangano Island lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria, at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it lies west of Rusinga Island. The island is 65 km² in area and rises to 1,694 m at Mount Kwitutu. It had a population of 16,282 as of 1999 census of population...
are within Kenyan borders. The 1911 Britannica said: "Most of these islands are densely forested, and some of them attain considerable elevation. Their scenery is of striking beauty." Except at the highest elevations, Rusinga and Mfangano are today largely deforested.
Tourism
Rusinga island is connected by a causeway to the mainland. There are a few tourist lodges, and the island is accessible via several roads leading from Kisumu and Homa Bay as well through the nearby Ruma National Park. It can be reached from the north by a dirt road from the Kakamega ForestKakamega Forest
Kakamega Forest is situated in Western Province Kenya, north-west of the capital Nairobi, and near to the border with Uganda. It is said to be Kenya's last remnant of the ancient Guineo-Congolian rainforest that once spanned the continent....
or by air from the Maasai Mara.
Archaeological Research
Rusinga is rich in fossils, and Mary LeakeyMary Leakey
Mary Leakey was a British archaeologist and anthropologist, who discovered the first skull of a fossil ape on Rusinga Island and also a noted robust Australopithecine called Zinjanthropus at Olduvai. For much of her career she worked together with her husband, Louis Leakey, in Olduvai Gorge,...
found the skull of Proconsul africanus
Proconsul africanus
Proconsul africanus is the first species of the oligocene-era fossil genus of primate to be discovered and was named by Arthur Hopwood, an associate of Louis Leakey, in 1933.- Discovery :...
on the island. The Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
floras of Rusinga and Mfwanganu islands are subject to a long-term study by paleobotanists. There was an archaeological prospection carried out by the Tervuren Museum, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, in 1968 (published 1971), on Buvuma and Bugaia islands at Munyama Cave, Tonge Cave, and Nakisito, plus another 47 sites. Pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
materials from 13,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C. were found.