In Rakai District, you will find the shallow freshwater Lake Kacheera. It is part of the Mburo–Nakivale wetland system and belongs to the chain of Koki lakes, which are separated by wide swamps.
Back in 1997, the lake lost water to Lake Victoria due to a strong flow through Lake Kijanebarora, which caused the water level to fall by three meters. Lake Kacheera was affected as well, losing the floating islands that once acted as a safe place for fish. Today, its shores are covered with swamps, bushes, and woodlands, which provide a home for birds, plants, and fish species.
Some of the fish found here include tilapia, Oreochromis (locally called engege), Astatoreochromis, Astatotilapia, Clarias, and Haplochromis. There are also native non-cichlid fish like Clarias gariepinus, Clarias liocephalus, and Protopterus aethiopicus. Animals often come to the lake to drink water, and during this time, you can see many species gathering near the shores, giving visitors a lively safari experience.
Lake Kacheera lies at coordinates 0.595°S, 31.115°E, and sits at an altitude of 1,232 meters above sea level. It has a depth of 5 meters and covers an area of about 42 square kilometers with a shoreline of 81 kilometers.
The lake stretches about 20 kilometers in length and is 3.5 kilometers wide. Nearby rivers include the Ruizi, which flows from Bushenyi District, passes through Lake Kacheera and Lake Kijanebarora, then enters Lake Mburo before ending at Lake Victoria.
Lake Kacheera supports several economic activities that help improve the lives of the local people. These include fishing, where different fish species are caught and sold at fair prices; tourism, which brings both local and foreign visitors; agriculture for both home use and selling; livestock keeping; and mixed farming.
To protect the lake, the government has introduced better fishing methods, restricted fishing at some landing sites, and arrests people who take part in illegal fishing. Regular patrols are carried out to make sure no harmful activities take place. These efforts have helped improve the quality of fish caught in the lake.
