What is Rusinga Island known for?
Rusinga Island, located in the eastern part of Lake Victoria in Kenya, is known for several things. It is the ancestral home and burial site of Tom Mboya, a prominent Kenyan politician who was assassinated in 1969. It is also famous for its rich fossil beds, containing extinct Miocene mammals, including 64 species of primates called Miocene apes, which were discovered during the Leakey expedition of 1947-1948. Rusinga Island is also known for its local language, Luo, and its Suba origins, which are reflected in many place names on the island. The island's population makes their living through subsistence agriculture and fishing, and the black sand beaches are made of crystals eroded from the uncompahgrite lava fragments in the agglomerates that overlie the fossil beds.
What type of language do the local inhabitants speak on the island?
The local language and primary spoken language on the island is Dholuo, which is a dialect of the native Luo language. The Kenyan national languages of Swahili and English are also understood and used by residents.