Rusinga Island
An island in Lake Victoria, about 16 kilometres long and linked to the mainland by a causeway. Fossils of the ape Proconsul were found here, and the grave of the politician Tom Mboya lies on the island.
- Where
- Mbita, Homa Bay, Kenya
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- -0.4000, 34.1667
Get the Rusinga Island stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Rusinga Island. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Homa Bay volume with your photos and a note.
Near Rusinga Island
Mfangano Island 18 km
An island of about 65 square kilometres in Lake Victoria, at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Ancient rock paintings made by early inhabitants can be found in its hills. It is home to Suba and Luo communities, who still fish the lake, and the island can be reached by boat from Mbita.
Ruma National Park 29 km
The only terrestrial national park in Kenya's Nyanza region, nicknamed the Last Retreat of the Roan Antelope. It protects the only native roan antelope population in Kenya, a rare animal that is close to disappearing from the country.
Kit Mikayi 52 km
A large stack of granite boulders, about 120 metres high, west of Kisumu. Its name means stone of the first wife in Luo, and it is a sacred site where local people pray and hold ceremonies.
Thimlich Ohinga 57 km
A walled settlement of dry stone enclosures in Migori County, the largest of more than a hundred such sites near Lake Victoria. Built from loose blocks without mortar, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kisumu Impala Sanctuary 71 km
A small sanctuary inside Kisumu city on the shore of Lake Victoria, covering less than one square kilometre. It was gazetted in 1992 and is advertised as a lakeshore walk with impalas.
Kakamega Forest 110 km
A tropical rainforest in western Kenya near the Ugandan border, spread over Kakamega, Vihiga and Nandi counties. It is the only tropical rainforest in Kenya and is said to be the last remnant of the ancient forest that once crossed Africa.
Lake Victoria 146 km
Africa's largest lake by area, at nearly 60,000 square kilometres, shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Kenya's part includes the Winam Gulf, with the port city of Kisumu on its eastern shore.
Maasai Mara National Reserve 162 km
A large game reserve in Narok County in southwestern Kenya, joined to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and named for the Maasai people who lived here first. It is known for the yearly wildebeest migration, when herds cross the Mara River between July and October.
More hidden gems in Homa Bay
Questions
Where is Rusinga Island?
Rusinga Island is in Mbita, Homa Bay, Kenya. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Mfangano Island (18 km), Ruma National Park (29 km), Kit Mikayi (52 km).
How do I get the Rusinga Island stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Rusinga Island and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Homa Bay volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Rusinga Island before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Homa Bay volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.