Ssese Islands Travel Guide – Southern Central Uganda
SSESE ISLANDS TRAVEL GUIDE
LOCATION OF SSESE ISLANDS, UGANDA
The islands occupy the North-Western corner of Lake Nalubaale (also known as Lake Victoria), the second-largest fresh water 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. Its largest town, called Kalangala serves as the headquarters of the district, which is also Kalangala. Kalangala is located approximately 51 kilometres, across water, South-West of Entebbe, in Wakiso District, on the Ugandan mainland. The coordinates of the district are 0° 26' 0.00"S, 32° 15' 0.00"E (Latitude-0.4333 and 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 North-Eastern 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.
SOME HISTORY OF SSESE ISLANDS, UGANDA
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.