Uganda has called on Kenya to work towards reducing travel costs, improving transport links and eliminating administrative hurdles that make it difficult for tourists to visit both countries during a single trip.
Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, said closer cooperation between the neighbouring countries would help them market their attractions as one regional tourism destination.
Speaking at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) 2026, held at Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum in Nairobi, Kiguli noted that expensive travel, inadequate connectivity and bureaucratic procedures continued to limit cross-border tourism.
“Our task now is to remove what still slows travellers down — cost, access and paperwork — so that a visitor to the Coast can add Uganda to the same trip, and the other way round,” he said.
Uganda is Kenya’s second-largest source of international tourists, coming after the United States.
Figures from the Kenya Tourism Board show that arrivals from Uganda increased from 201,623 in 2024 to 234,556 in 2025, representing growth of approximately 16 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Tourism Board recorded an increase in Kenyan visitors from 466,902 in 2024 to 519,041 last year.
The combined number of visitors travelling between the two countries consequently exceeded 750,000 in 2025.
Kiguli said the growing traffic presented an opportunity for the two countries to create joint tourism packages and increase visitor spending across East Africa.
Uganda’s State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Susan Nsambu Nakawuki, said better regional transport links would be essential to achieving that goal.
She highlighted the challenges tourists face when travelling by air between East African destinations, particularly between Uganda and Kenya’s coastal region.
“Over the weekend, it is very hard to get a flight from Entebbe to any destination of Kenya, especially Mombasa,” Nakawuki said.
The minister also raised concerns about the high cost of regional air travel, questioning why flights between Entebbe and Mombasa could cost as much as journeys from Entebbe to Paris.
“Usually the money you pay from Entebbe to Mombasa is the same money you pay from Entebbe to Paris. Why?” she asked.
Nakawuki urged African policymakers to address non-tariff barriers and strengthen air connectivity to make travel within the continent easier and more affordable.
She also called for countries in the region to promote their tourism attractions collectively rather than competing individually for visitors.
“We are better off marketing our region as a single tourist destination than going as individuals. We are one people with one destiny, and we should push that as much as we can,” she said.
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The minister maintained that Uganda and Kenya should view each other as partners rather than rivals in the tourism industry.
“As Uganda, we are not competition for Kenya, but we are forever allies. We’re here to support Kenya. We are also here to explore Kenya,” she added.
The appeal comes as Kenya seeks to attract five million international visitors by 2027. Uganda believes stronger regional tourism could contribute to that goal while increasing revenue for both countries.
Under the proposed approach, travellers would be encouraged to combine Kenya’s beaches and wildlife experiences with Uganda’s mountain gorilla trekking, the source of the River Nile and other attractions.
Nakawuki said integrated packages could persuade tourists to spend more time and money in the region.
She gave the example of visitors exploring Kenya’s Coast and Maasai Mara, including balloon safaris, before travelling to Uganda for gorilla trekking and a visit to the source of the River Nile.
The partnership is expected to feature prominently at the fifth Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, scheduled for October 26 and 27 at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa.
The event is expected to attract more than 200 participants from the tourism, technology, government and investment sectors.
One of the key discussions will focus on Article 104 of the East African Community Treaty, which addresses the free movement of people, labour and services. Participants are expected to develop recommendations aimed at improving cross-border mobility.
The summit will also host an innovation exhibition featuring youth-led technology businesses, alongside business-to-business meetings bringing together tour operators, investors and technology developers.
Nakawuki further called for stronger integration among African countries, noting that travel between destinations on the continent can be more expensive and time-consuming than journeys to Europe.
“Let’s consider seriously the issue of connectivity within the African region,” she said.
The initiative is part of broader efforts by Kenya and Uganda to increase regional tourist movements and ensure more visitor spending remains within East Africa.
Since 2022, the Uganda-Kenya Coast tourism platform has brought together tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers and tourism organisations from the two countries.
Its familiarisation programmes have introduced more than 450 tourism industry stakeholders to attractions and products in both markets.
The Ugandan Consulate is also promoting a familiarisation visit to Uganda for Kenyan tourism stakeholders from November 1 to 8. The trip is expected to help industry players develop joint packages that position Kenya and Uganda as complementary destinations.
