Planning to travel this festive season? Be ready to pay more money

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The festive season is upon us, and that means many things: holidaying, merrymaking, family reunions as well as travelling.

And speaking of travelling, like it usually happens around this time of the year, Ugandans intending to move from the city to join their folks in the countryside will have to part with more than the usual amount of transport fare to get to their respective destinations.

In a mobility context, the festive season means hiked fees for public travel.

A passenger pulls her suitcase to board a bus to western Uganda at Kisenyi Bus Terminal in Kampala on Friday 12, 2025.

So if you are planning to travel out of the metropolis, keep that in mind when budgeting for your itinerary.

New Vision took a stroll around the bus parks in Kampala to assess the situation.

At Namayiba Bus Park and Kisenyi Bus Terminal, for instance, while some travellers saw it coming, others appeared caught off-guard by the increased travel fees for different routes out of the city.

“I was not aware of the increase in transport fare to Mbarara, and I don’t know where I am going to get additional funds,” lamented Joyce Ayebale.

Having budgeted for the usual sh30,000 to get her to Uganda's western city of Mbarara, Ayebale was now being asked to pay sh40,000 instead.

There's no two ways about it. It's either you dig deeper into your pockets or purse, or you are left behind.

Daniel Matsiko, the manager of Baby Coach, said passengers bound for western Uganda should be prepared to pay more during this festive season.

He said the transport fares for their company have been increased as follows:

▪️Kampala to Mbarara: 40,000 from sh30,000

▪️Kampala to Ntungamo: sh50,000 from sh40,000

▪️Kampala to Kabale: sh50,000 from sh40,000

▪️Kampala to Kisoro: sh60,000 from sh50,000

'Buses are few amid high demand'

Medard Tibigana, the bus manager of Starlink Coaches, said the transport fare for Kampala to Kanungu has been increased to sh70,000 from sh60,000.

A bus ticket manager issues tickets to passengers to board Gulu Coach at Namayiba bus park in Kampala on Friday 12, 2025.

And it may be hiked even further to sh90,000 the nearer the festivities come, he added.

But the increase in transport fare is not for the western routes only. Travellers to other parts of Uganda will feel the financial pinch too.

Ibrahim Musa, the manager of Teso Coaches, said travellers should brace themselves to part with sh35,000 to the eastern cities of Soroti and Mbale. That is sh5,000 more than the usual fee.

If you are heading to the north, the Gulu city and Apac district fare has been increased from sh40,00 to sh50,000.

“The demand is higher, but the buses are few. That is why we have increased the transport cost,” said Emma Kabongo, as he urged passengers to board a bus destined for Gulu city.

When contacted though, the chairperson of the Uganda Bus Drivers Association, Yunus Kiggundu, denied knowledge of transport fare hikes, claiming that the fees had remained unchanged.

But when pressed further, his response: this is a free economy.

Regardless, Kiggundu was keen to appeal to the people behind the wheel to drive carefully during this festive season.