A Map of the Uganda / Kenya Border Dispute Over Migingo Island

            I expect this map to change over the next few days as it is the best representation I could make after reading many stories and reviewing a bunch of maps on the Internet.

Uganda and Kenya have been arguing over who owns the small island, barely visible at the center of the map above. The dispute has been brewing over the last few years and has finally led to a joint survey that is being conducted this week by both countries with results expected as soon as this week (May 15th). As far as I can tell, the dispute comes down to whether the islands are East or West of the Western tip of Pyramid Island just to the South. Pyramid Island is referenced in the constitutions of both countries. From the Western shore of Pyramid Island, the border line continues North to another island. If the shores of Migingo Island are West of that line then the island is in Uganda, otherwise, they are in Kenya. 

I have drawn the islands as being just barely in Kenya as the most recent press and other descriptions seem to be leaning towards a situation where the island is in Kenya but the water just West of the Island is in Uganda. This would be ironic because the source of the dispute is fishing rights over the dwindling Nile Perch that are still in abundance around the island.

The island was uninhabited until at least 1991 when two Kenyan fisherman say they set up residence. Uganda says that a Ugandan fisherman started living on the island in 2004 and had found the island abandoned. The island is about half the size of a football field and barely above water. It may have even been below water in previous years when the waters of Lake Victoria were higher. It is amazing to see the island itself because it is basically a large rock with a bunch of tin hacks that house the islands 1000 or so residents. There is barely any open space on the island.

I plan to update the map once the surveyors complete theirs. Apologies in advance for any inaccuracies but I wanted to get the story out while it is still unfolding.

Taken in: Kenya / Nyanza (show map)

Taken on: July 20, 2011

Tags:

Uganda

Kenya

Lake Victoria

Migingo

Migingo Island

Pyramid Island

border dispute

border

map

Africa « less

Sets appears in: • Maps of Strange Borders • All maps

Groups appears in: • Cartography • World Islands

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