Colonial Cartograhy: A Hidden Crucible of the Migingo Conflict

Scholars have extensively studied the ways in which colonial borders configure the African continent. In East Africa, studies have demonstrated that the colonial naturalized inter-state boundaries have been a source of territorial conflicts. Focusing on the Uganda-Kenya conflict over Migingo Island, this article examines the forces that shaped the demands and claims of either state over the island. Migingo is a rocky islet in Lake Victoria that has been a contested ground between Uganda and Kenya since 2009. Drawing on colonial maps, reports, documents and interviews with Ministry Officials, the paper argues that imperial cartography in East Africa is flawed and cannot resolve the Migingo conundrum. It further reveals that the various joint-survey commissions have failed to re-affirm the borderline because of the inconsistences and ambiguities encompassed in colonial delineations and mappings. It thus calls for negotiations to address this maritime imbroglio between the two states.