Malaba or Busia: which border for Uganda cargo?

Almost everything that goes from Mombasa to Uganda crosses at one of two places: Malaba or Busia. Both are one-stop border posts, which means Kenyan and Ugandan officials work side by side, so the truck stops once instead of twice. Both lead to Tororo, where the road to Jinja and Kampala carries on.

So which one should your truck use?

Malaba: the default

Malaba sits on the main Northern Corridor road. Trucks from Nairobi usually go through Nakuru and Eldoret to Malaba, and the railway arrives there too. For most transit cargo leaving Mombasa for Kampala, Kigali or Juba, Malaba is the first choice, and it has the most experience handling large volumes of trucks.

Busia: the alternative

Busia is reached by the road through western Kenya towards Kisumu. It is a sensible choice in a few situations:

• The cargo starts, or is delivered, in western Kenya, such as Kisumu, Kakamega or Bungoma.
• Queues at Malaba are long on the day, and Busia is moving.
• The consignee's clearing agent is set up to work at Busia.

How we decide

We do not choose a border once and stick with it. Before a truck leaves, we look at:

1. Where the cargo comes from and where it is going. The shorter road is not always the faster one.
2. Queues and conditions at both posts that week.
3. The documents. The transit papers, the seal and the consignee's details have to match the border we use.
4. The load. Heavy, oversized or regulated cargo can be easier at one post than the other.

If the cargo is for South Sudan

Juba-bound trucks cross at either border and then choose between two roads north: through Kampala, or turning off at Tororo and heading north through Soroti and Lira. Both end up at the Elegu–Nimule border. We pick the road based on the load and the conditions at the time.

What to ask your transporter

• Which border will you use, and why?
• What happens if the queue is long on the day?
• Who is handling the paperwork on both sides?
• How will I know when the truck has crossed?

If you are planning a move to Uganda or beyond, tell us about your cargo and we will plan the route and the border with you.