Rwandan traders and transporters who used to ply the Kigali-Kampala route are waiting with bated breath for the border with Uganda to be fully opened for all travellers for business to resume.

Although they will have to wait a bit longer for the borders to be fully operational as both Rwanda and Uganda work on joint Covid-19 protocols for passengers, the thaw in the stalemate between the two countries and border opening has excited the traders.

“The past three years have been tough, we made untold losses, our buses that used to take people to Uganda have been parked for the last three years, but we are happy that business will resume soon” said Twahirwa Dodo, proprietor of Jali Investments, which owns a number of bus companies, which ply the Kigali-Kampala route. 

He said the border was closed after they had just got a bank loan from BRD for expansion, which put the company in a precarious situation.

“Even as we prepare for the route reopening, we shall incur additional cost in buying new spare parts, repairs and servicing up to 50 buses that have been parked for all this time, many got mechanical problems, parts broke,” he said. 

Early in the week, Immigration and Customs officials of both countries held a closed-door meeting at the Gatuna border post, which was intended to come up with a coordinated approach to facilitating movements.

The Rwandan government spokesperson pointed out that trucks and returning residents can cross into the country through the Gatuna border post like it happens at other border points in line with EAC Covid-19 protocols.

Traders who used to import a wide range of consumer goods from Uganda, and have had to endure the costly and long journey to Tanzania as an alternative source of their goods, have expressed relief at the on-going reopening process.

“Things got tough and costly when the border was closed, I used board the bus in the night to Uganda and by morning I was in Kampala, buy my products and come back the same day, when I resorted to Tanzania it took me a week and a lot more money to get goods from there” said Mukamunana Dativa, a trader in Kigali.