As Big As The Football Stadium, Monitoring The Uniqueness Of The Island With The Most Populous Residents In The World

JAKARTA - Migingo is a small island that is only half a hectare. Now it is home to about 1,000 residents and is known as one of the most populous islands in the world.

Quoted from the Express.co.uk page on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the island is located on Lake Victoria on the east side, right on the border between Uganda and Kenya. The island has long been the center of peace between the two countries.

However, Migingo is currently managed together by Uganda and Kenya. Although tensions often arise regarding the small island which is only the size of this football stadium, local residents call it the ' Africa's smallest war'.

A young fisherman once told AFP there were 'sometimes tensions', although in general, the islanders continued their lives as usual.

Recently, Joe Hattab, a Dubai filmmaker, made a difficult journey by making a short film about life on the island. According to him, he saw Kenyans and Ugandans "gorge together."

Migingo became known as a large fisheries center after a number of fishermen who wanted to catch the nile perch fish decided to try their luck on the island.

Previously, the abundant marine life in Lake Victoria experienced a significant decline. This has had a negative impact on people living along the coasts of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. In addition, encouraging people to look for a more reliable source of fish.

At first, Migingo did not appear, but over time, the island became a place known as a fishing ground and fishermen from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo began to arrive.

The abundant Nile fish in the waters around Migingo were previously only known at the local level. Now, the fish are a commodity that has been present in the menu of luxury restaurants in England and France. This further increases the island's appeal for fishermen.

Hattab noted that the price of the tile perch has soared to '50 percent in recent years' and is estimated at 300 US dollars or IDR 4.7 million per kilogram in the international market.

Now, Migingo Island is decorated with mosaics of houses from corrugated zinc that adapt to the soil contour. The island even has several facilities such as four bars, hair salons, and sewers.

In addition, there are also local police and small clinics managed by a nurse to deal with mild health problems. However, for more serious medical issues, residents must travel to mainland Kenya.

Even with all the dynamics that exist, Migingo remains one of the unique phenomena in the world. This illustrates how life can develop in a very limited place. But still able to become the center of life for thousands of people.