Buggala Island, in

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

, is the tenth-largest lake island in the world. With an area of , it is also the second largest island in

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...

, after

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Ukerewe Island Ukerewe Island (''Kisiwa cha Ukerewe'', in Swahili) is a freshwater island located in Lake Victoria. The island is administratively part of Ukerewe District in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. The island fifth-largest lake island in the world. With an ar ...

, and the third largest

lake island A lake island is any landmass within a lake. It is a type of inland island. Lake islands may form a lake archipelago. Formation Lake islands may form in numerous ways. They may occur through a build-up of sedimentation as shoals, and become t ...

in Africa, after Ukerewe and

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

Idjwi Idjwi, or Ijwi, is an inland island in Lake Kivu which forms part of South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At in length and with an area of , it is the second-largest lake island in Africa and the tenth largest in the wo ...

. It is a part of the

Ssese Islands The Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands in the northwestern part of Lake Nalubaale in Uganda. The islands are coterminous with the Kalangala District in southern Central Region, Uganda, Central Uganda, which does not have any ...

in the

Kalangala District Kalangala, also known as Ssesse, is a Districts of Uganda, district in Central Region, Uganda, Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda. Like other Ugandan di ...

. The chief town of Buggala island is

Kalangala Kalangala is a town in Kalangala District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda. It is the headquarters of the district. Location Kalangala is on the northern shore of Bugala Island, the largest of the Ssese Islands in Lake Vi ...

. in Kalangala town council, Bujumba county Kalangala district.

Infrastructure on Buggala Island

Bugala island is the most developed of all the other islands in Kalangala district and acts as the center and main island. The Island is home to two oil palm mills one located at Bukuzindu in Mugoye sub county and the other at Bwendero all in Bujumba county. It also has a grade 'B' Murram road running from Luku to Kalangala to Mulabana stretching 65.6 Km which acts as the island main road. This road was Rehabilitated by Kalangala Infrastructure services
KIS
in 2016. To it also connects several other feeder roads from landing sites and remote villages. Bugala island also has roads connecting palm oil plantations. Buggala island has hybrid-electric power generated at Bukuzindu in Mugoye subcounty b
KIS
"........
Bukuzindu Power Plant
is a 1.6 MW solar-diesel hybrid power plant that supplies power to the population of the Bugala Island in Lake Victoria. It was commissioned in December 2014 and began operations in March 2015. It currently supplies power to over 3,397 households and 49 commercial customers, including a few hotels and small enterprises........" reads part of the data accessed fro
Buggala's electricity power supplier'
s website. On top of this 'in-house' generated electric power, Buggala Island was connected to the national electricity grid in June 2024Daily Monitor. (2024, July 30). Joy as Kalangala’s Buggala Island is connected to power. ''Daily Monitor''. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/joy-as-kalangala-s-buggala-island-is-connected-to-power-4656466 through a 6 km submarine power cable passing through

lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...

from Bukakata in

Masaka District Masaka District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Buganda, Buganda Kingdom in Uganda. Its main town is Masaka City, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100. Location The district is bordered by Masaka, Masaka City to the north-west an ...

to Bugoma on Buggala Island. Buggala Island is also home to two of the four secondary schools in it mother district

kalangala Kalangala is a town in Kalangala District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda. It is the headquarters of the district. Location Kalangala is on the northern shore of Bugala Island, the largest of the Ssese Islands in Lake Vi ...

these are Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga Memorial Secondary School in kalangala town council and Sserwanga Lwanga memorial secondary school in Mugoye sub county. The health infrastructure on Buggala Island include Kalangala Health center IV in kalangala town council and other lower ranking health facilities such as health center III and II.

Economic activities

People on Buggala Island engage in four major activities that is * Fishing * Plantation agriculture (Oil Palm growing) * Retail trading * Tourism Business

Notable people from Buggala Island

* Gen Edward Katumba Wamala (Former Police IGP, CDF and current Minister for works and transport) * Late Col. Sserwanga Lwanga (Former CA delegate and UPDF political commissar / NRA bush War Veteran) * Late Hon. Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere (Former Cabinet minister and leader of the Democratic party in Uganda) * Late Hon. Gerald Mutebi Mulwanira (Former Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development)

Tourist attractions and other Heritage sites

Bugala Island attracts a number of tourists from mainland Uganda as well as from abroad. Among the island's main tourist attractions are: * White sand beaches, primarily located in Lutoboka, including the popula
Mirembe resort
* The

Luggo Cultural Forest Luggo Forest also known as Luggo Cultural Forest 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 ...

, known as the source of the Ddamula, a symbol of authority in the

Buganda Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...

Kingdom * Bugoma, where missionaries Brother Amanshttps://www.peresblancs.org/brother_amans.htm and Fr. Siméon Lourdel Marpel (commonly known as Mapeera) are believed to have stopped * John Speke's Cave, associated with the British explorer's journey in search of the source of the

Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...

References

Kalangala District Lake islands of Uganda Islands of Lake Victoria {{Uganda-geo-stub