The Punishment Island Uganda – Explore the Punishment Island Lake Bunyonyi: The Punishment Island on Lake Bunyonyi is one of the beautiful islands. It is also popular as Akampane Island and is one of the fascinating places to visit. This is due to its fascinating legendry story. You will have to paddle for about 30 minutes to access this Island. Then apparently it is easier to access the island than before. You can visit the island after a breathtaking gorilla trek in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks.
The Punishment Island on Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda is tiny, isolated with only two trees. One of the trees looks dry. Also, the other has lasted so long that its flora is giving out its last breath. There are other several islands close to the punishment island Lake Bunyonyi. Meanwhile, they are so busy with a lot of people that have settled their coexisting together with the tourism resorts.
Brief history and significance- The punishment island on Lake Bunyonyi
Due to the strange story about this island in the old days, no one would rejoice if they were told that they were going to the Akampane Island. this is because people referred to it as an unfortunate island. In the ancient days, whoever girl would get pregnant in the community before getting married traditionally was interpreted as a misfortunate. People looked at her as someone who had brought shame to the family. Therefore, the punishment for such girls was to ride them in the canoe boat.
They took them to Akampane Island, and always threw them there. The people always threw them there and abandoned them without giving them food or water. They did so for about four nights and sometimes left to die. This served as an example to others so that they don’t do the same thing. However, the lucky ones or fortunate ones survived. The fishermen helped to rescue their lives, and others decided to marry them.
Tales of the Bakiga People
The Bakiga local people who are close to this lake practiced this tradition. According to their traditional culture and beliefs, a girl had to get pregnant only after marriage. Also, if a family married off a girl who was a virgin, it meant much wealth. Also, the family of the girl gained a lot of pride if she went for marriage as a virgin. One of the reasons that they could get rid of pregnant girls was because they never wanted shame on them. Long ago girls did not know swimming. So, whenever men abandoned them on this island, the only option was either to throw themselves in the water to drown or wait for their death due to starvation, hunger, and coldness.
Due to the primitiveness of the people as well as the remoteness of the area, this traditional practice continued even after the coming of the colonialists and missionaries. Meanwhile, they tried to put a stop to this brutal and ruthless practice.
A blessing in disguise for some
However, the punishment leading to the death of pregnant girls was an advantage in disguise to those boys or men who had long been admiring to marry the girl but had no resources. These took up the advantage to paddle up to the island and pick up these girls. They married them for free without any dowry to pay. Therefore, not all girls died but the boys or men would take them. They took them to another island where they usually started their new life. When you take a tour of this amazing Island you will get a chance to explore other islands. You’ll encounter some women who are a living testimony or victims of the girls abandoned on this Island but later rescued by unknown people.
The story about the punishment island is extremely fascinating and sounds unfair. Though the girl who got pregnant was given such a punishment, nothing happened to the man or boy who gave the girl pregnancy. Yet, the girls used to mention the boys. Therefore, it is believed that it is this same man who followed up with them and picked them up from the Island to go and start their own new life.
Getting to the punishment island is easy if you are staying around any of the lodges around Lake Bunyonyi that you are staying.
