Border Post - Uganda/Kenya | Customs and Immigration

Very quick and smooth border with a bicycle. From Uganda to Kenya, go on Kenyan side, both to exit Uganda and enter Kenya.

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iIf you want assistance from a 'fixer', I can recommend Mugisha, +256772363333.
We have used him for more than 20 years and he is very reliable. He is now the chairman of all the fixers in Busia.

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smooth border crossing. with east african visa in my passport, I crossed the border on foot in less than 10 minutes. only yellow fever vacc needed.

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All went smoothly coming in from Uganda, used a runner who seemed very efficient. Paid for everything on his MPaso which saves having to try find cash etc. Until it came to the Comisa which we knew was $55 but the yellow document that he gave us showed $170 + $30 taxes. He tried to get us to pay him $200 in cash instead of $55. He then blamed the chap from Comesa and said he made a mistake!!! Be careful, know your prices before hand.

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Kenya - Uganda --> easy --> +/-45 min
1. Drive past all trucks. Stop under gate with buildings left and right. Go to KRA on the right to check out your car. (On your left hand side there's the immigration for coming into Kenya)
2. Drive through the gate on the left side past the X-ray machine on the right. Stop here and go to immigration on the right just behind the X-ray. Check out of Kenya and into Uganda.
3. Go to URA to check in your car. Right from the Forex exchange bureau. There is no sign just a small desk. (we had a Uganda car so no road taxes to be paid).

Done! I guess the process should be the same coming from Uganda and then use the immigration as mentioned in 1.

Not many fixers that bother you. Recommend over Malaba crossing with many fixers annoying you and taking much more time.

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Simple border crossing Uganda -> Kenya. Within 25 minutes I passed Uganda customs, Uganda immigration and Kenya immigration (with a 7 days old Covid test). Then Kenya customs took long, almost 1 hour. The official KRA law (see photo) says you can enter 14 days for free on a TIP, but with a Carnet you have to pay 20$. For TIP I had to go back to Uganda customs, so I just paid the 20$ (cannot be paid in $ so need Ksh 2240). After 90 minutes I was through, no need to pay a fixer.

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Call fixer Francis, he managed to get us trough the whole proces in 1,5 hours.
His number: 0720335678

Or fixer Joseph: 0725481239

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Uganda to Kenia:

efficient border post, easy to navigate between buildings. We first stamped out our Carnet on the Uganda OSBP customs (first building left) and also did the Covid test there (through the customs building). At first they said we should go test on the Kenian side, but Kenya would only test truck drivers we were told, so back to Uganda testing area and then it was pk. UGX 170'000 per person for PCR test, waited approx. 3h (we were told 4, just tested around lunchtime). While waiting for the test results, we continued to the Kenya OSBP to stamp in the Carnet (4418 KSH road fee to Mombasa, valid 1 month, to be paid inside at a bank/fx exchange teller inside the immigration building, on the backside) . They wanted to scan the bags but then saw all our luggage and said it's ok without. We could then even stamp our passports out of Uganda and into Kenya by showing the receipt for the PCR test, being told to wait afterwards until we have the results before leaving the border. Uganda told us we do also need the test to exit...(even though one of us is vaccinated and could enter Uganda without test - but as Kenya anyways asks for it, it didn't really matter). Visa on arrival was no problem, paid in USD (although cash...not sure if that's how you're supposed to do it, but we didn't realize right then, stamp seemed ok).

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Kenya to Uganda, took us 2 hours
*Stemp CDP out of Kenya in Kenya side
*Drive to Uganda side
*Covid PCR test - You can do it at the border in Uganda side 170,000 ugs, but you have to wait for 4-5 hours. We did it in Kisumu at CDC Kisumu Laboratory for 6000 KS
*Stamped passport Kenya out Uganda in, 50$ or 200,000 ugs, only cash
*CDP in, you can pay for 1\2\3 months, 20$ per month. You pay in the Bank then stamped in.
*ATM at next to the bank
*We did car third part insurance for 3 months for 200,000 ugs

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4 UK citizens with a Hilux and a CDP on a Sunday morning.

Approach the border and pass all the trucks and go straight up to the gate. The policeman will wave you through. Follow the road around to the right and park by the second building on the right. The first building says immigration but seems to be defunct. Go into the second building which is the smaller of the 2, and there should be 5 counters, the furthest 2 are Kenyan customs, get your CDP stamped at one of these.

Now get back in the car and drive to the parking after a little guard house, the guard here will ask for your CDP but do nothing. You are now at the one-stop immigration building.

Ugandan customs asked if we had any baggage as we said yes, we each took a small day-sack in. After security on the door we picked up a Ugandan entry form, complete this and go to the Kenyan immigration official to be stamped out. Then the Ugandan to be stamped in.

Then take the passageway between the 2 desks, place your bag on an X-ray machine. Collect it on the other side of the machine, there didn’t appear to be anyone inspecting the images.

In the main customs hall we went to the office at the back as the 3 counters were unattended. Here a man asked if we had paid Ugandan road tax, as we hadn’t he took our CDP to the bank and came back 5 minutes later with a paying in slip for 74500ush and no CDP. We took the paying in slip to the bank and payed in ush including the 2000ush bank charge. (There is an ATM to get money out, or use a money changer there are lots wearing yellow jackets). Once we had paid the road tax at the bank, we took the receipt back to the customs official who stamped our CDP and we were on our way.

The whole process took 45minutes.

CAUTION, before the road joins the road from Malaba at a T-junction there was a police checkpoint, where we were stopped for overtaking on a solid line. Be careful the line probably is solid but it is invisible. Traffic cops wear white. The fine should have been 100,000ush, we paid them 40,000ush as apparently you need to pay at a bank etc and we asked for the problem to go away.

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Kenya -> Uganda

Drive up to the gate with the policeman, Mx

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Kenya to Uganda

As previously mentioned, also had a fairly straight forward experience. We are travelling with a Carnet & Canadian/South African passports.

Upon arrival, you first visit the Kenyan customs office to get Carnet stamped out.

Then drive through to the Ugandan side where an officer will check the vehicle. You then proceed to the main building where passports are stamped out of Kenya and into Uganda (counters next to each other).

Note: EATV is available here.

Also in the same building, you will clear Ugandan customs. We were asked where we were going in Uganda (said Mt. Elgon) and were informed that we needed to pay for a Temporary Road License which was 76,000UGX. This is apparently mandatory for all foreign vehicles.

Whole process took approx 1 hr on a Wednesday morning.

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Not really a one-stop; its two.

Visit customs on the Uganda side and my Carnet was completed and stamped.

Then cross to the Kenya side, for exit and entry immigration stamps, and finally cross the road to the Kenya customs where Carnet was completed.

No charges and the whole process took less than an hour. A word of warning to those using a carnet – check it has been completed properly. On the Kenya side the lady omitted to sign the entry form. This is the second time in three uses, I’ve had to go back to get it fixed!

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As described before. We decided to rather use this border than the one close to the north. We think it was a good decision. Took a little over half an hour in total Uganda to Kenya. Stamped out Carnet in Uganda side (just drive past all the trucks, turn left and then enter a gate on the right around the corner), then drive through to One stop area. Forex bureaux also there. Used a tout fir a change ($5) and although not necessary, it certainly felt like he helped us especially with car papers.

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It’s a one stop but remember to check out everything with the car on the side you’re leaving. I had to walk back with all my papers to get my TIP checked out on my Tanzanian car.

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Very quick and easy border post. It was very quite (Monday morning) we cleared the border with Kenya to Uganda in 45 minutes. You need to clear Kenyan customs first, then do your passports, then do the customs for Uganda. We got a 30 day TIP and paid $20. We believe the $20 covered road tax as we did not pay anything else. Ugandan police checked the car, but it was not a full search, just open the doors and back to have a look. In all a very efficient border and friendly, helpful, staff.

*BEWARE* on the road entering Busia town, before the border there is a police road block. We were pulled over, they checked all our documents and then informed us we were speeding! We were not! Long discussion! It’s unfortunately a corrupt officer. In the end he settled for 500ksh by way of a speeding fine, to let us go on our way. We have heard from others passing this border that they have been subject to the same racket.

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Crossing from Kenya to Uganda.

Had some minor problems. Drive past all the trucks to the one stop border post. On the Kenyan side there's not much to report. Pretty straight forward.

For the customs on the Ugandan side: they ask where you're going to. Based in this you have to pay road tax. It's best to name something pretty close to. The border like Kampala (the mentioned ~70000 are the road tax for this distance). If you tell them you go to Fort Portal the road tax is outrages ~250000). Since we already told them that we go to Ruanda, we couldn't reduce the fare much. It ended up being around 179000. So be smart. No one checked so far on the road tax. But be aware to bring Comesa. Police will check occasionally.

Changing money: use the bank next to customs, not the counter. Bank offers the better rate.

The lady at customs didn't know how to handle a carnet. But she was able to get it done pretty quick anyhow.

Beware of fixer.

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Americans with Carnet. Departing Uganda & entering Kenya.
This is a One Stop border for Immigration but it’s still a Three Stop border for those of us with vehicles. It’s quite a busy border with many tractor trailers. They are parked in the road leading up to the Immigration & Customs buildings. Drive around them and park by the second building, if you’re exiting Uganda. Here, you go to Immigration, complete a Departure Form, stamp out of Uganda and stamp into Kenya in the next window. Your second stop is to return to the first building to stamp the Carnet out with Uganda customs. As a third stop, return to Kenyan customs in the second building and stamp your Carnet in. We waited about 20 minutes at the window while the customs officer typed in information. She gave us a Declaration of Importation valid for 3 months. No payment was required. The border crossing took a hour and a quarter.

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Go to the one stop shop border post office for the country you are entering. Complete a form and get your passport stamped out of one country and in to the next in the same office. We travelled Uganda to Kenya but the one customs stop shop wasn't completed yet so we had to go back and clear our bikes out of Uganda, this should change soon. No charge for the TIP in Kenya just a short wait to enter details.

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Dutch citizens without a Carnet de Passage.
On this border both countries' immigration are in the same building.

Exiting Uganda:
Passportstamp was easy, fill out a form and get a stamp out of Uganda and into Kenya.
We received a TIP from Uganda that is valid for all East African Countries and just need to be stamped in every country.

Entering Kenya:
We handed it over to customs and she registered our car papers. Then we had to pay Ks. 2100,-(around USD20,-) at the bank across the street where they only accept Kenyan Shiling.
After returning the receipt to customs we received a stamp and the TIP back, valid for a month.
You can get a TIP for up to three months and the costs vary from USD20,- to USD100,- for three months.

It was surprisingly easy.

PS! If you have a crack in your window it is officially illegal so you'll get a fine until you get it fixed.
We covered the cracks with mud and the rest of our car as well so it looked like we did 'off-roading' and that worked out fine.

PS2. If you're planning to go through Ethiopia to Sudan, make sure to get enough dollars in Kenya. As in Ethiopia you cannot get USD easily(it is 'illegal' to change Birr back in to USD) and if you do find someone, you'll get a bad rate. In Sudan the ATM's do not work for foreigners, neither does Western Union, but they do ask for USD for alot of things.

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