Mfangano Island
Italy
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 at the 1999 census. As of 2024, the population is estimated to b
e approximately 30,000. Administratively, Mfangano is part of Homa Bay County. The island is home to the largest population of Olusuba or Suba people language speakers in Kenya. Olusuba is becoming rarer, in part because of intermarriage between Suba men and Luo women from the mainland, as it is traditional for children to learn the "mother tongue", that is, the language of their mother. Other languages spoken on the island include Luo, Swahili, and English. Members of the Luo tribe are concentrated on the eastern side of the island, most of whom are fishermen and subsistence farmers. Some of the inhabitants of Mfangano are believed to be descendants of emigrants from the Buganda kingdom in Uganda who arrived after the controversial early nineteenth century killing of the kabaka juju. Most inhabitants live near the water for ease in fishing and collecting the day's water supply. The water...
Listen to the audio guide for Mfangano Island Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen offNearby
- Abasuba Community Peace Museum musei · 5 km away