Rusinga Island
Rusinga is a small and pretty island opposite Mbita. There is a single dirt road running around the desolate and goat-grazed island. Droughts and high winds from the lake make harvests very unpredictable. Most people do some fishing; selling the catch on to refrigerated lorries bound for Kisumu or Nairobi.
What is there to see?
The island has two significant claims to fame. It is rich in fossils and the site of Mary Leakeys discovery of Proconsul Africanus (a primitive anthropoid primate). There are excursions from Rusinga Island Club to the surrounding islands inhabited only by birds, including fossil walks and visits to see the cave where Mary found the remains of our forefathers.
Moreover it was the birthplace of Tom Mboya, Kenyas civil rights champion. The charismatic Luo politician was gunned down in Nairobi in 1969. This sparked off a crisis that led to over 40 deaths in widespread riots and demonstrations. You can visit his mausoleum on the family land at Kasawanga on the north side of Rusinga.
Where can I stay
Mbita is close-by and has some choice of places to stay.
How do we get there?
See Mbita. Rusinga is connected to the mainland through a causeway at Mbita.
What else is there to see nearby?
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