Lake Victoria also known as Victoria Nyanza or the eye of the Rhino is part of Africa’s Great Lakes. It’s the world’s second largest fresh water lake. It was named after the Queen of the United Kingdom by an explorer known as John Hanning Speke who was the first European to set his eyes on it. It covers an area of 68,800 square kilometres. Its water volume is very high and it’s ranked eighth in the world and contains 2,750 cubic kilometers of water.
Lake Victoria is located on the western side of Kenya and Uganda border. It’s the backbone of economy for the local communities and one of Kenya and Uganda’s major fishing grounds. Most of the major fish caught around here include Nile Perch, Tilapia and Omena- a type of small fish that’s fished at night. The Omenas are believed to be very high in protein. However the lake has faced a challenge of a stubborn weed called hyacinth. This weed has choked the lake for more than 20years. Great efforts are being done to eradicate it.
Lake Victoria is a good place for locals and international visitors. There is a working ferry transport system and the main ports include: Kisumu, Mwanza, Entebbe, Jinja and Port Bell. The lake has several islands; some have settlements like Rusinga, Migingo, Remba and several others. Visitors are treated with boat rides to these islands. The major towns include: Kisumu which is now a city, Homa Bay and Kisii in Kenya. In Uganda there is Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe.
