I travelled on a Jaguar Bus from Kampala to Kigali, crossing the Uganda-Rwanda border at Gatuna.
Normally, I would have taken a bus to the border, crossed on foot and once across, taken another bus. This is my usual cross-border strategy.
But I was pushed for time. I had allotted myself just 10 weeks to get to Windhoek before getting a flight back to Nairobi to connect with my flight to London.
Travelling on local buses would add days to my journey, so I opted to take the Kampala to Kigali bus.
So after just one night in Kampala, dreadful place anyway, I headed to Entebbe, but not before booking the bus ticket to Kigali.
In the pouring rain, I headed for the Jaguar Bus Terminal.
The fare from Kampala to Kigali (August 2023): 70,000 UGX (20 USD):
Departure time: 8 pm. This was perfect for me. I could hang out in Entebbe before taking a matatu back to Kampala at 4 pm-ish.
After enjoying my stay in Entebbe, I took the non-express matatu back to Kampala.
As soon as I arrived, I headed back to the Jaguar Bus Terminal and exchanged my voucher for the actual ticket:
I asked how long the journey would take.
“It depends on how long the border crossing takes, but sometime the next morning”
I liked their honesty.
What they meant was that it depends on how long it takes to fix the bus when it breaks down. 99% of the time, the bus will break down. This Is Africa. Get used to it if you can, or go home.
The perfect answer when asked, “when will the bus arrive?” is, “the bus will arrive when it arrives”.
I went to get something to eat.
Kampala to Kigali trip report
The Jaguar Bus Company was said to be the best in Uganda. My Jaguar bus from Kampala to Kigali was an old Chinese Yutong bus. My seat reclined at every bump. The promised WiFi didn’t work. If this was the best bus that you could take, I hate to think what the other companies were like.
My neighbour was listening to this cell phone, as were 3 or 4 others around me.
This is on top of the bus’s own sound system. This Is Africa. It promised to be a long night.
These little annoyances were, it turned out, the least of my worries.
After midnight, we stopped. There was a problem. This is Africa. There is always a fucking problem. Especially with buses.
The gears weren’t working so well so they tried to fix it. Two guys on a motorbike arrived with gas tanks and started welding both in the cab and underneath the bus.
They were unsuccessful. This wasted 2 hours.
A replacement cable was requested from Kampala, 4 hours away. And there we waited, until almost 6 am. TIA.
But at least the new cable was installed sharpish. And at 6.30 am we set off again.
And starting the engine had the effect of resetting the internet modem.
Welcome to Africa.
My buddy has just travelled from Kigali and said that the buses used by Trinity Buses were in much better condition. Maybe I just get unlucky.
Crossing the Uganda-Rwanda border at Gatuna.
Arrived at the Katuna / Gatuna Border Post at noon.
They have a ‘one-stop’ border crossing, just like in Busia. There is no ‘no-mans-land’ to walk across. The immigration office has both Ugandan and Rwandan immigration, side by side.
Documents needed to enter Rwanda:
These are the minimal requirements to enter Rwanda:
- Hotel reservation (I had a 4-night reservation at the Mamba Rwanda Youth Hostel)
- Yellow Fever certificate
- Onward Ticket (I had return flight from Lusaka to London via Nairobi
- Visa if required
British don’t need a visa to enter Rwanda. Always check with the relevant authorities before you travel.
I was expecting a full-page sticker because Rwanda is not visa-free; we need a visa, but the fee is waived, which is not the same thing, but it’s just a stamp.
Can you take Plastic Bags to Rwanda?
The message on the website is clear:
“Please refrain from bringing plastic bags to Rwanda. Banned by law since 2008, any plastic bags in your luggage will be confiscated at the airport or other point of entry”.
So in preparation, I ditched all my plastic bags in Entebbe.
Arrival in Kigali
We arrived at the Nyabugogo Taxi Park in Kigali at 3 pm. The journey from Kampala to Kigali took 18 hours.
Then had a frustrating time trying to find my hostel, which was incorrectly located on the map, with the address at 680, not as 608 as shown on the map. The place has since closed. Good riddance to it. The worst hostel ever. TIA.
Nomadic Backpacker in Kigali:
