Kenya-Uganda Buses to Travel During Day – Operators

Buses plying between Uganda and Kenya will only travel only during day as a precaution in case violence flares up after the general election, according to operators in Kampala.

The decision was announced as Kenyan went to the polls to vote for a president, members of parliament and local government leaders.  The presidential election pitting Incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta against his long-time rival Raila Odinga of National Super Alliance-NASA comes ten years after the ethnic unrest in which more than 1000 lives were lost.

The unrest was sparked off by a disputed election involving then president Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. Bus operators now fear for a possible recurrence of the 2007 events and have suspended operations on the route. A few others have reduced the number of buses in operation.

The Country Manager of Modern Coast bus company, Shamsudin Abdi, says the three buses operating on the Kampala-Nairobi route will strictly travel during the day. Abdi says rumors that the Uganda-Kenya border has been closed are unfounded.

//Cue in: Ah I think…

Cue out: … during the day.//

Abdi says they are getting constant updates on the route, adding that they are continuing to book passengers and advising them on departure times.

//Cue in: Ah for those…

Cue out: … the other side.//

Mzee Sultan, the transport manager of Simba Coaches says six of their buses will leave Nairobi for Kampala today with no buses going in the opposite direction.

Sultan says fear has kept most passengers away, adding that they will resume operations once the post-election period is all clear.

The bus company lost a bus in the post-election violence of 2007/2008 and is wary of another loss this time around.