Rusinga Islands- Travel Tips

What to See, How to Plan & Tours

Rusinga Island, located in Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf, is a culturally and geologically significant island in western Kenya. Its population is predominantly Luo-speaking, though its Suba heritage is evident in place names and oral traditions tracing back to Ugandan refugees centuries ago. The island is connected to the mainland via the Rusinga-Mbita bridge and is known for its volcanic black-sand beaches and onshore breezes. Agriculture and fishing remain central to the local economy, despite ecological shifts caused by the introduction of Nile perch. Rusinga also holds national importance as the burial site of Tom Mboya, a prominent Kenyan independence leader. The island is internationally recognized for its Miocene fossil beds, which have yielded thousands of specimens dating back 18 million years. Excavations led by Louis and Mary Leakey uncovered early primates such as Proconsul, believed to be a possible ancestor of both apes and humans. The fossils were preserved in ash beds formed by a now-eroded volcano, whose remnants include the Kisingiri hills and nearby islands. Rusinga's geological history and palaeontological richness offer valuable insight into early primate evolution and East Africa's deep past.