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A growing number of Ugandans living and working abroad are increasingly bypassing Kampala altogether, opting for alternative regional entry points through Kenya and Rwanda to access their home regions more efficiently.
Veteran journalist Charles Onyango Obbo says persistent traffic congestion along Uganda’s Northern Corridor has quietly influenced travel behavior, particularly among diaspora professionals without direct ties to the capital.
Instead of flying into Entebbe and enduring long road journeys, many are choosing quicker cross-border routes.
“Those from western Uganda simply fly into Kigali and drive across the border homewards,” Obbo notes.
“The whole journey takes roughly 15 to 25 percent of the time it would if they flew to Entebbe and then battled the roads.”
He cites professionals working with international organisations, including the World Bank, who have adopted this route for years without setting foot in Kampala.
Similarly, Ugandans from eastern and northern regions are flying into Kisumu in Kenya, then crossing into Uganda via Busia or Malaba border points.
“The journey from Kisumu to places like Tororo or Mbale can take about a third of the time compared to travelling from Entebbe,” Obbo adds. “Some have not been to Kampala in nearly a decade.”
The trend reflects broader changes in infrastructure use and regional mobility.
Improved access to essential government services in upcountry towns such as Mbarara, Gulu, Mbale, and Arua means citizens no longer need to travel to the capital for documentation like passports or national IDs.
Obbo argues this shift signals a form of unintended decentralisation driven by digital service expansion and regional connectivity.
He suggests that if East African countries deepened integration—potentially adopting a Schengen-style border system—it could significantly transform mobility and economic activity across the region.
“If Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda embraced a freer movement framework, they would unleash a revolution none of them has yet imagined,” he says.