Lubya Island where sex, booze, poverty and ignorance rule
Oct 21, 2009
When I finally set foot on Lubya Island at around 7:20pm, I thought I had crossed to another country — some forgotten part of the world.
By Chris Kiwawulo
When I finally set foot on Lubya Island at around 7:20pm, I thought I had crossed to another country — some forgotten part of the world.
Located on about 10 acres, Lubya is one of the 52 islands that make up Buvuma Islands in Mukono district.
Everything was hardly visible. There is no power, save for generators that are used in drinking joints, video halls and salons. The rest of the houses on the island were lit by candles and kerosene lamps.
A loud speaker, that residents call Agape Radio, made announcements about important happenings on the island.
I set off from Masese landing site at 3:20pm in Jinja district on a 30-foot long ice-carrying boat, having missed the passenger boat that goes to Buvuma once a day. There were 12 other passengers on the boat and the captain, with about seven tonnes of ice. It took us five hours to reach Lubya Island.
Health and sanitation
When nature called on my second day on the island, I asked my guide, Ibrahim Sebere, to direct me to a place of convenience. I was shocked at his response. “Go to that hill,†he said, pointing at some rocks about 50 metres from the ‘lodge’ where he had booked me.
Since the island has no toilets, people ease themselves in the adjacent hills and at the lake shore. This has heightened the spread of waterborne diseases — diarrhoea, dysentery and bilharzia — especially during the rainy season.
“Our latrines are full. We plan to dig up others and also fundraise from residents for chemicals that break down the sewage,†said Sebere, the spokesperson for the Lubya Beach Management Unit.
The over 4,000 residents contributed sh5,000 each to construct a four-room wooden health centre with a cemented floor. However, the centre lacks medical workers and drugs.
Mohammed Muzige, a nursing officer at the centre, says cases of malaria, diarrhoea, typhoid, bilharzia and gonorrhea are common.
“I get five new malaria and three gonorrhea cases a week,†he said.
Panadol tablets that cost sh200 in Kampala go for sh800 at the island.
Hajji Ali Ssekitoleko, the chairman, concurred that the health and hygiene is appalling and called for government support. He accused the Mukono district health department of neglecting them.
However, the Mukono district director of health services, Dr. Elly Tumushabe, dismissed the claims. “I am aware of the plight of the people of Lubya. We are planning to equip their health centre with medical workers and drugs this financial year, but our biggest problem is inadequate resources.â€
He attributed the poor service delivery on the islands to their topography which makes them almost inaccessible.
The Mukono district chairman, Lukooya Mukoome, said a health unit to support the residents was already in place.
“We have a special development programme for the islanders,†he said.
Lubya during the day
A normal day at Lubya Island is characterised by intermittent landing and departure of boats at the shores. Restaurants operate throughout the day, feeding fishermen. The few video halls there serve as resting places for fishermen who have accomplished their day’s tasks.
When I finally set foot on Lubya Island at around 7:20pm, I thought I had crossed to another country — some forgotten part of the world.
Located on about 10 acres, Lubya is one of the 52 islands that make up Buvuma Islands in Mukono district.
Everything was hardly visible. There is no power, save for generators that are used in drinking joints, video halls and salons. The rest of the houses on the island were lit by candles and kerosene lamps.
A loud speaker, that residents call Agape Radio, made announcements about important happenings on the island.
I set off from Masese landing site at 3:20pm in Jinja district on a 30-foot long ice-carrying boat, having missed the passenger boat that goes to Buvuma once a day. There were 12 other passengers on the boat and the captain, with about seven tonnes of ice. It took us five hours to reach Lubya Island.
Health and sanitation
When nature called on my second day on the island, I asked my guide, Ibrahim Sebere, to direct me to a place of convenience. I was shocked at his response. “Go to that hill,†he said, pointing at some rocks about 50 metres from the ‘lodge’ where he had booked me.
Since the island has no toilets, people ease themselves in the adjacent hills and at the lake shore. This has heightened the spread of waterborne diseases — diarrhoea, dysentery and bilharzia — especially during the rainy season.
“Our latrines are full. We plan to dig up others and also fundraise from residents for chemicals that break down the sewage,†said Sebere, the spokesperson for the Lubya Beach Management Unit.
The over 4,000 residents contributed sh5,000 each to construct a four-room wooden health centre with a cemented floor. However, the centre lacks medical workers and drugs.
Mohammed Muzige, a nursing officer at the centre, says cases of malaria, diarrhoea, typhoid, bilharzia and gonorrhea are common.
“I get five new malaria and three gonorrhea cases a week,†he said.
Panadol tablets that cost sh200 in Kampala go for sh800 at the island.
Hajji Ali Ssekitoleko, the chairman, concurred that the health and hygiene is appalling and called for government support. He accused the Mukono district health department of neglecting them.
However, the Mukono district director of health services, Dr. Elly Tumushabe, dismissed the claims. “I am aware of the plight of the people of Lubya. We are planning to equip their health centre with medical workers and drugs this financial year, but our biggest problem is inadequate resources.â€
He attributed the poor service delivery on the islands to their topography which makes them almost inaccessible.
The Mukono district chairman, Lukooya Mukoome, said a health unit to support the residents was already in place.
“We have a special development programme for the islanders,†he said.
Lubya during the day
A normal day at Lubya Island is characterised by intermittent landing and departure of boats at the shores. Restaurants operate throughout the day, feeding fishermen. The few video halls there serve as resting places for fishermen who have accomplished their day’s tasks.