An island in Nyanza where peace resides

Fishing boats dock at the beach in Takawiri Island in Mbita Sub-county in Homa Bay County on February 16, 2021. PHOTO | GEORGE ODIWUOR | NMG

By JACKSON BIKO
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Summary

• If you are the type who hates doing nothing, you can go to the nearby Bird Island with its thousand species of birds.
• The service is great but the menu is expensive. French fries, what we call plain chips, cost Sh800.

You want to see a paradox, visit Takawiri Island. It is one of the many small islands dotting Lake Victoria in South Nyanza. It has sandy beaches and palm trees.

It takes a moment for visitors to fully absorb the experience. Most of them usually say, “I didn’t know Nyanza had places like this!” Or “My God, this could be anywhere!” But it’s not, it’s in Nyanza. And it’s astonishing in its beauty.

Your boat scraps on the beach and there, waiting at Takawiri Island is a resort. The water is blue or grey depending on the mood of the lake.

You have to call ahead and reserve, though. The resort does not appreciate people who are simply “passing through.” They charge Sh500 per person to use the beach. You can have a picnic there.

Carry your drinks. Or sandwiches. There are beach beds to lie on, the sky to stare at and the lake to swim in. It is silent. Birds circle overhead. Boats glide past in the distance.

Once in a while, you will see a waterbus cruising past. No planes fly overhead. When your skin is tingly from the heat, you can jump in the water and swim.

If you are the type who hates doing nothing, you can go to the nearby Bird Island with its thousand species of birds. Circle it with your boat because you are not allowed to step on it. You can visit the nearby fishing villages where you can have fresh fish.

But I suggest you lie on the beach. Carry a book. It is peaceful. The service is great but the menu is expensive. French fries, what we call plain chips, cost Sh800. As I said, it’s an Island.

How many times will you find yourself on an island in Nyanza, sipping a beer on a sandy beach? Not often. Think of it as paying for memory, because beaches never leave our minds. Their permanence is their allure.