Lake Ihema


Lake Ihema is a lake in the east of Rwanda, at the border with Tanzania. The lake lies within the marshland of the Kagera River in which it empties via a very short channel. With an area of, it is the largest lake entirely in Rwanda. Considering all other lakes in the country, it would be the 3rd largest after Lake Kivu between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lake Rweru between Rwanda and Burundi at of which only are in Rwanda. The lake is located in Kayonza District in the southern part of Akagera National Park which contains more than another dozen of lakes, of which Ihema is the largest.
The lake is rich in biodiversity, except fish, the lake is home to hippopotamuses and crocodiles. As for birds, it has 550 species including remarkable species such as the shoebill and papyrus gonolek. Among the endemic species, there are ibises, jacanas, herons, plovers, sandpipers, malachite kingfishers, hawks and many others.