The Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands in the northwestern part of Lake Nalubaale in Uganda. [1] The islands are coterminous with the Kalangala District in southern Central Uganda, which does not have any territory on mainland Uganda.
The islands occupy the northwestern corner of Lake Nalubaale, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. The largest island in the archipelago is called Bugala Island, which accounts for more than half the archipelago's land area. [1] Its largest town, called Kalangala serves as the headquarters of the district that carries the same name (Kalangala District). Kalangala is located approximately 51 kilometres (32 mi), across water, southwest of Entebbe, in Wakiso District, on the Ugandan mainland. [2] The coordinates of the district are:0° 26' 0.00"S, 32° 15' 0.00"E (Latitude:-0.4333; Longitude:32.2500).
The islands lie in two main groups. The south west can be referred to as the Bugala Group, after Bugala Island, the largest in the archipelago. The northeastern group can be referred to as the Koome Group, after Koome Island, the largest in that group. The two groups are separated by the Koome Channel. Other islands in the Bugala Group include: Bubeke, Bubembe, Bufumira, Bugaba, Bukasa, Buyova, Funve and Serinya. The main islands in the Koome Group include: Damba, Koome and Luwaji.
Little is known about the earliest inhabitants of Ssese, but some oral traditions associated with the creation of Buganda claim its founder Kintu hailed from the islands, or at least arrived in Buganda via them. The Baganda revere Ssese as the Islands of the Gods. In pre-colonial times it was customary for the Kings of Buganda to visit the islands and pay tribute to the several balubaale whose main shrines are situated there. These include shrines to Musisi (spirit of earthquakes) and Wanema (physical handicaps) on Bukasa Island, as well as the shrine of Mukasa (spirit of the lake), on Bubembe. [1]
The Ssese Islands are inhabited by the Bantu speaking Bassese tribe, closely related to the Baganda and the Basoga, and speaking a similar, though distinct language. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the islands were one of the most important spiritual centers of the region. About 43 (50%) of the islands are inhabited. The islands vary in size from less than 10,000 square metres (2.5 acres), to over 40 kilometres (25 mi) in length for the largest island, Bugala Island.
Henry Morton Stanley described the inhabitants as "the principal canoe builders and the greater number of the sailors of Mtesa's empire." [3] : 168
The most popular route that the islands can be accessed from is through Nakiwogo near Entebbe by MV Kalangala as the main gateway to the archipelagos. Transfer between Nakiwogo and Bugala Island is usually 3½ hours.
From Bukakata: From the western part of Uganda, a free car ferry links Bukakata mainland located 36 km east of Masaka with Luku on Bugala Islands about 50 minutes sailing. The ferry sails either directions every few hours from early morning to late afternoon. The morning trips on Sunday are not available.
From Kasenyi landing site: To get to Banda Island, there are small wooden boats departing from Kasenyi, a fishing village 7 km off Entebbe-Kampala road; turn off is 5 km outside Entebbe.
On Bugala island there are shared taxis that run from Kalangala to Luku.
The principal industry in the Ssese Islands is fishing for the huge Nile Perch, with much of the catch being exported. Overfishing is a huge concern on these and other islands in Lake Victoria. Other industries include agriculture, forestry and tourism.
Livestock farming is practiced on the islands. It is estimated that 3,000 cattle, 250,000 poultry (chicken and ducks), 1,235 goats and 7,000 pigs are kept on the islands. [4]
BIDCO, a private palm oil processor based in Jinja District, on the mainland, owns a 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) palm oil plantation on the islands. In addition, outgrower farmers grow palm oil on contract with BIDCO and sell their produce to the processor. [5] In 2010, the palm oil plant began generating 1.5MW of electricity through the burning of bagasse and some of the oil. The power supplies the oil processing plant and the excess is sold to Kalangala, the largest town on the islands. [6]
Logging is another economic activity that is practiced on the Ssese Islands.
The islands are also home to a variety of animals including primates, which are not easily accessible on the mainland. The most common large terrestrial mammal is the Vervet monkey, which is often seen in the vicinity of Lutoboka and Kalangala. Bushbuck and black-and-white colobus are also present, but seldom observed. Since Buggala was separated from the mainland, one endemic creek rat and three endemic butterfly species have evolved on the island. Water and forest birds are prolific. There's a variety of hornbills, barbets, turacos, robin-chats, flycatchers and weavers. Particularly common are the jewel-like pygmy kingfisher, the brown-throated wattle-eye and the paradise flycatcher. African fish eagles and palm-nut vultures are often seen near the lake, while immense breeding colonies of little egret and great cormorant occur on Lutoboka and other bays. [1]
This has led to the evolution of a nascent but growing tourism industry on the islands. Infrastructure is still rudimentary but is slowly improving.
Transport in Uganda refers to the transportation structure in Uganda. The country has an extensive network of paved and unpaved roads.
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 million Baganda make up the largest Ugandan region, representing approximately 16% of Uganda's population.
Kalangala, also known as Ssesse, is a district in Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kalangala which is located on Bugala Island, the largest of the Ssese Islands.
Mukono is one of the districts in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mukono is home to the district's main commercial center and district headquarters.
Wakiso District is a district in the Central Region of Uganda that partly encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The town of Wakiso is the site of the district headquarters. Kira, the country's second largest city and suburb of Kampala, is in the district.
Kato Kintu Kakulukuku known in Bunyoro as Kato Kimera was the first kabaka (king) of the Kingdom of Buganda. "Kintu" is an adopted by-name, chosen for Kintu, the name of the first person on earth in Buganda mythology. Kato Kintu gave himself the name "Kintu" to associate himself with the "father of all people", and he may have renamed his wife, from Nantuttululu to Nambi, because that was Kintu's wife's name.
Bubembe Island is an island in Lake Victoria inside the country of Uganda. In the religion of the Buganda people, it is the home of the temple of Mukasa.
Kalangala is a town in Kalangala District in the Central Region of Uganda. It is the headquarters of the district.
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There are two major sources of fish in Uganda; one is from aquaculture, the other from fishing in rivers and lakes. The latter has made up the largest and most significant share of all fishing. Open water covers 15.3 percent of Uganda's surface and comprises five major lakes which are the main sources of fish in the country. Lake Victoria continues to be the most important water body in Uganda both in size and contribution to the total fish catch, followed by Lake Albert and Lake Kyoga.
Bukakata, sometimes spelled as Bukakkata, is a lakeside town in Masaka District, Central Uganda.
Bugala Power Station is a 1.5 megawatts (2,000 hp) biodiesel-fired thermal power plant located on Bugala Island, in Kalangala District, in the Ssese Islands Archipelago, on Lake Victoria, in south-central Uganda.
Koome is an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda.
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Fishing sites and villages/communities in Uganda are mostly on islands and at landing sites. These act as central points for fish trade and fishing.
Lugonjo is a neighborhood in Entebbe Municipality, Busiro County, Wakiso District, in the Buganda Region of Uganda.
Mahathi Fuel Transport and Storage Depot is a privately-owned inland, lakeside fuel transport and storage depot in Uganda. Gasoline, kerosene, diesel-fuel and Jet A1 are delivered by ship from Kisumu, across Lake Victoria in neighboring Kenya. The fuel is stored here and conveyed by truck to final destinations in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, significantly cutting down delivery times and transport costs.
Lutoboka Central Forest Reserve is a protected area in Uganda's Eastern district of Kalangala. The 174 hectares Lutoboka Forest Reserve is located in Kalangala Town Council on Bugala Island.
Luggo Forest also known as LuggoCulturalForest is an heritage site and tourism Centre and home to many tree species in the Bujumba subcounty of Uganda's Kalangala district. It is a private forest found in Buswa Village along Kalangala -Mulabana Road surrounded by oil palm plantations. It is the only forest containing the tree where the mace (Ddamula) symbolizing the authority of the Katikkiro is cut from. The mace commonly known as "Ddamula" was handed over by the Kabaka to the Katikkiro symbolizing the transfer of authority to the Katikkiro to rule over Buganda on his behalf.
Kiwumulo Cave also known as Kalaya Cave is a cultural site located in Ssese islands, Kalangala district, Uganda. The cave is believed to be an origin to over 50 clans of Buganda Kingdom. The Kalaya cave is owned by Jjaja Kiwumulo or Semuggala. The cave is for the Nkima (Monkey) clan, which is one of the 52 clans in Buganda.
Ssese Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage00°26′00″S32°15′00″E / 0.43333°S 32.25000°E
Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic
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