Deep in the heart of Lake Victoria, life on Migingo Island is not for the timid.
Some of the island's fishermen claim that snakes, which inhabit the many rock crevices, pose a continual threat to the locals.
Even though there haven't been any recent reports of snakebite incidents on the island, the fear is real and constant, even though it doesn't always come to light.
Some locals told the media that the black mamba snake, known as "endure" in the local tongue, is a frequent sight on the island's streets, particularly at night.
"Never walk in the middle of the night just because you can step on a snake," says an Island fisherman who only goes by Paul.
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When it's calm and quiet at night, the snakes frequently emerge from the rocks for food. Some even go inside homes.
All you will find on the island are rocks and more rocks. There are neither roads nor footpaths. The narrow passageways are lined with improvised homes at every angle.
On the island, people occasionally hop, skip, and jump over rocks to get from one place to another.
Sleeping under a mosquito net at night is necessary to protect one from falling bats, lizards, mosquitoes, scorpions, and snakes.
"The first thing you need to find when you get here is a place to sleep and a mosquito net," Paul states.
Although no schools exist in this area, young children can still play on the island's streets. Most kids are probably here instead of in school because they have yet to reach the legal age to attend school.
These are the offspring of merchants and investors who have made investments on the island. This enormous rock has walls shared by bars, brothels, hotels, and rental homes; the locals are learning to coexist with monitors and snakes.
Even harmless reptiles have been known to slip into homes and land on mattresses or sleeping mats.
According to the locals, living a cautious life is crucial.
People on the island operate improvised pharmacies, but anti-venom is nonexistent.
"What if someone gets bitten by a snake and needs an anti-venom? I know there haven't been any cases of snake bites." Paul asks.
Roughly 131 people live on the little island, a tiny 0.49-acre rock, according to a 2009 Kenyan census report; other estimates put the population closer to 500.
Fishermen, businesspeople, women and women, kids, police officers, and occasionally tourists who come to marvel at this rock can all be found here.
