A journey from tragedy to hope, building a smart village model on Lake Victoria that thrives economically and environmentally.
Kimi Island, located in Koome sub-county, Mukono district, lies on 79 acres of land on Lake Victoria with an approximate population of 5,500 people. The only means of transport to and from the island is by water, which takes five hours to travel by boat to the mainland of Kasenyi landing site.
There are two camps on the island: Kimi Kachanga and Kimi Banga, which comprise a mixture of tribes, with over 600 shanty houses. The standard form of shelter on the Island is characterized by a slum with shanty structures having very close proximity to each other and made of papyrus and wood. Because of this, shear factors like very poor sanitation and waste management persist.
The main source of income at the Island is fishing and others being fish processing, food vending, bar waiting, and prostitution. Due to the lack of a functional health facility and given the island "lifestyle", the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate (at 70% that is, out of 20 people tested for HIV/AIDS, 17 are HIV positive) is very high.
I learned about Kimi island in 2017 after it was struck by a tragedy that called for an urgent response. A devastating fire swept across the island reducing everything to ashes. The locals watched helplessly as their homes, belongings, and livelihoods went up in flames. Nothing was spared—not even the only health facility that once served as a lifeline for the community.
At the time, Kimi island was steadily finding its footing, growing despite the many challenges it faced. News of the tragedy spread across nearby landing sites, reaching those of us on the mainland. Through my Rotaract club, we organized a visit to the island, carrying basic first aid supplies to support the residents who were in desperate need of help.
In the aftermath of that fire, life has never been the same. With no medical services in place, expectant mothers are not allowed to remain on the island. They must leave for the mainland to access safe delivery services and can only return once they have given birth. This difficult measure, though painful, is driven by fear of losing mothers and newborn babies to preventable complications in a place with little to no medical support.
That first visit to Kimi island left a lasting mark on me. Something about the strength and resilience of the people deeply touched my heart. Ever since, I have felt a strong attachment to this community that keeps drawing me back. Each visit reminds me of how much potential lies within this island.
My dream for Kimi Island is to transform it into a Smart village; a model community that thrives both economically and environmentally. On Kimi island, it is possible to harness renewable energy to power homes and businesses, promote climate-smart agriculture to improve food security and livelihoods, introduce proper waste management systems to protect the environment, and ensure access to digital learning and technology so that no child/youth is left behind in the age of innovation.
My vision is to simply turn Kimi into a beacon of hope, resilience and smart growth where farmers produce sustainably, where waste is turned into resources, where clean energy lights every home and supports business growth and other existing infrastructure, and finally where technology connects the community to global opportunities.