Crossing the Kenya-Uganda Border at Busia

Trip Report: Kisumu to Jinja – Kenya to Uganda – via the border at Busia.

I just want to remind you that you must apply for a Uganda e-Visa. The visa on arrival is not available.

The journey from Kisumu to Jinja is done in 2 stages:

• Kisumu to Busia
• Busia to Jinja

How to get from Kisumu to Busia:

I took a matatu from the Bungoma stage in Kisumu.

The distance from Kisumu to Busia is 110 km. The price is 500 KSH. You get a ticket from the booking office.

You can get cheaper ones for 400, nearer the bus station but they are slower. My journey from Kisumu to Busia took 2 hours and 30 minutes.

You arrive in Busia, at the spot about 500 metres from the border. Just walk!

A young man tried to encourage me to take his vehicle on the other side to Kampala.

“The people here are thieves. They will cheat you”

African travel tip: If anyone says ‘others will cheat you’, they are the very person who will cheat you.

‘There are no buses’. Biggest lie ever. There are always buses or something similar that locals use. You just need to find them.

On all my travels, regarding transport, prices, always ask someone who is NOT involved in the transport business. Go into a shop, look for a woman, preferably, selling perfume, or anything completely unrelated. You can trust their advice.

Changing Money at the Kenya-Uganda Border Crossing in Busia:

I changed 3,000 KSH to Ugandan Shillings and got 75,000 UGX, about 20 USD, more than enough to get me to Jinja.

The Exit Kenya/ Enter Uganda immigration booths are right next to each other. Needed to show a Yellow Fever certificate.

Make sure you have your e-Visa for Kenya. They ask for it! (You now need an ETA for Kenya)!
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Exit stamp for Kenya:

​Even with the e-Visa for Uganda, you still get a full-page sticker on arrival.

How to get from Busia to Jinja:

From the border post it’s a short distance to the taxi stand, the parking lot where you’ll find onward transport.

I hadn’t bothered to check the details before. On exiting the border area a young lady told me I could find a taxi (she meant a minivan/matatu) for 15,000UGX. “If they charge you 20,000, they are ripping you off”.

I walked. Unsure where I was going exactly but the opportunity would arrive. It always does.

I jumped on the back of a motorbike, a Boda-Boda and rode the short distance to the Busia Taxi Park, as it’s referred to on Google Maps.

I found the matatu going to Jinja:

The fare was 15,000 UGX, exactly as the young lady had said. It was some time before we were ready. In the heat, I suffered quietly.

We stopped at a roadblock. One of many. I showed my passport. No problems.

We had 3 Kenyans on board who had missed immigration. They thought they could just wander in. They could visit the town of Busia without needing to deal with the formalities, but beyond the city’s limits was a different matter.

So we lost time. A bribe was paid. TIA. We continued.

The distance from Busia to Jinja is 220 km. The trip took just 2 hours and 30 minutes. The time taken to travel anywhere in Africa depends on the traffic when in the cities and whether or not you break down.

Kisumu to Jinja took me a total of 7 hours, including the border crossing and waiting time.

​A successful day. But boy, I was feeling ragged. So I was very happy to get a room in Jinja at the superb Scindia Suites, where I could relax a bit before heading off to the Source of the River Nile.