Akampene Island is a small island on Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, located about 50 kilometers from Kabale town. The island is about three acres in size and is covered with a dense forest.

The island is one of the 19 islands found on Lake Bunyonyi and is situated in south western Uganda. This is one of the must visit islands within Lake Bunyonyi of Kigezi region.

The name ‘akampene’ was derived from a rukiga word ‘okuhena’ which means punishment.

The Island is well known for its dark history. It’s a place where young girls who became pregnant before marriage, banished by their community were taken and abandoned.

The girls were left to die on the island, some of who died of starvation, while others were killed by wild animals.

According to Mauda Kintaragabirwe, a survivor of the punishment island banishment, whenever a girl got pregnant in one of the villages, her family would tell the entire community which would immediately banish her to the island.

“Those days, a girl who got pregnant was looked at as a disgrace to the village she came from. Early pregnancy those days was solely the girl’s responsibility. The boy’s life went on normally,” Kintaragambirwe narrated.

In the 1940s, the government of Uganda intervened in the matter and the practice of abandoning girls on Akampene Island was stopped. It’s now illegal to banish girls.

However, the island still remains a symbol of shame and humiliation for young girls in Uganda. Some of the last survivors of Akampene Island are still alive and they normally share their stories with visitors.

Akampene Island is currently a popular tourist destination where visitors can take a boat to the island and learn about its dark history.

The island is also a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the scenery. So, it’s important to find time and visit the island and have a great experience. The reason it shouldn’t miss on the list of the must visit areas.