Ssese Islands

The Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands in the northwest of Lake Victoria, Uganda, in the nation's Kalangala District. About forty-three of the islands are inhabited. The islands vary in size from less than 10,000 square metres, to over 40 kilometres in length for the largest island, Bugala Island.

The islands lie in two main groups, separated by the Kkome Channel. The south west group is home to Bugala, site of the islands' main town, Kalangala, home to the district headquarters, while other islands include Bubeke, Bufumira, Bugaba, Bukasa, Buyova, Funve and Serinya. The main islands in the north east group are Damba, Kkome and Luwaji.

The Ssese Islands are inhabited by the Bantu speaking Bassese tribe, closely related to the Baganda and the Basoga, and speaking a similar, though distinct language. In ancient times the islands were one of the most important spiritual centres of the region.

The principal industry in the Ssese Islands is fishing for the huge Nile Perch, with much of the catch being exported, and resulting in overfishing. Other industries include agriculture, forestry and tourism.

The islands are also home to a variety of animals including primates. They are connected by ferries from Bukakata on the mainland to Liku on Bugala and from Kampala to Banda and Bukasa.

AIDS is a serious health problem in the Ssese Islands. Among the numerous fishing villages of the islands, the HIV/AIDS infection rate is greater than 90%.