RUSINGA ISLAND · LAKE VICTORIA · KENYA
Opija House
A two-bedroom home on the shores of Lake Victoria, where the island’s namesake swallow fills the morning air with song.
opija — DhoLuo for the small swallow native to the island, known for its beautiful morning call.
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2 BED · 2.5 BATH · 150 M²
THE STORY
Built to bring people home
Otieno Okatch grew up in the United States, but for over three decades he kept returning to Rusinga Island — the home of his father.
After many journeys back, Otieno decided to build a comfortable home to share with other visitors to the island: a place with the warmth of family and the ease of the amenities travelers expect. Opija House stands in Kolo, the ancestral village where his father, and Otieno’s grandmother Linda Okatch Mungayaka’s family line, was born.
The house takes its name from the DhoLuo word for a small local swallow — a bird found across the island whose song is one of the first sounds of the Rusinga morning.
| Built | 2024 |
| Built By | Otieno Okatch |
| Family line | Linda Okatch Mungayaka |
| Location | Kolo Village, Rusinga Island |
| Road | Wanyama Kaswanga Ring Road |
| From Kisumu | ~2 hours |
THE HOUSE
Island living, with every comfort of home.
A 150 square-meter, 2 bedroom, 2½ bathroom home with a full kitchen and onsite laundry. Built for families and travelers who want the quiet of the island without giving up the amenities of the city.
THE BIRDS
A birder’s paradise, from first light.
Rusinga Island hosts hundreds of species — hawks and eagles overhead, kingfishers along the shore, and the island’s namesake swallow, opija, whose song opens every morning.
THE RATES
Simple, published pricing.
| Included | Rate (USD) |
| Per night — the whole home, not per person | $175 – $200 |
| Maid service | $20 / day |
| Chef service — one meal daily | $50 / day |
| Private chef service — more than one meal daily | $100 / day |
| Onsite guard, overnight | $30 / night |
All rates are published and charged in US Dollars. Nightly rate is per home, not per guest.
THE DIRECTIONS
From Mbita town to Opija House
- From Mbita town, cross the Mbita Bridge onto Rusinga Island.
- Travel approximately 2.4 km along the Wanyama Kaswanga Ring Road.
- Just a couple hundred meters past Nyamuga School on your left, Opija House appears on the right-hand side of the road.
- On foot, enter through the pedestrian gate directly on the road.
- By car, turn right just before the property into the large gate leading to the car park.