Kisumu is a port city with a population of around 160,000 in western Kenya. It is situated on the north tip of Winam Gulf, which in itself is part of Kavirondo Gulf of Lake Victoria. The port was founded in 1901 as the main inland terminal of the Uganda Railway and named Port Florence.
Lake Victoria ferries operated from the port linking the railway to Port Bell, in Uganda and Mwanza, in Tanzania.
Before the jet airline era, Kisumu was a landing point on the British flying boat passenger and mail route from Calshot Spit, near Southampton to Cape Town. Kisumu linked Port Bell and Nairobi.