Busia is a town in
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. It is the capital and largest town of
Busia County.
Geography
Busia, Kenya is located in
Busia County, approximately , by road, northwest of
Nairobi
Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, Kenya's capital and largest city. This location is immediately east of
Busia, Uganda. The coordinates of Busia, Kenya are: 00°27'48.0"N, 34°06'19.0"E (Latitude:0.463333; Longitude:34.105278). Busia, Kenya sits at an average elevation of , above sea level.
Overview
The towns of Busia, Kenya and
Busia, Uganda are border towns on Kenya's border with Uganda. The towns of
Malaba, Kenya and
Malaba, Uganda
Malaba, Uganda is a town in Tororo District in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda, on its eastern border with Kenya. It sits adjacent from Malaba, Kenya, across the Malaba River that marks the border between Uganda and Kenya ...
, approximately to the north, along with the Busia megalopolis account for the bulk of trade and human traffic between the two
East African Community
The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, S ...
countries.
In July 2017, the construction of a one-stop-border-crossing between Busia, Kenya and Busia, Uganda was concluded. The construction on the Uganda side was completed in May 2016. The common upgraded border crossing was commissioned in February 2018, jointly by former president
Uhuru Kenyatta
Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta ( born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, he previously served as Prime Minister of Kenya, Deputy Pri ...
of Kenya and president
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and Officer (armed forces), military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-List of current state lead ...
of Uganda.
In 2021 it was reported that large quantities of Ugandan sugar were being smuggled into Kenya through Busia. Sugar in Kenya was more expensive and the failure of Kenyan sugar production industries meant that sugar could achieve an even higher price.
Population
The 2019 Kenyan census recorded Busia's population as 71,886.
Education
Local
Catherine Omanyo moved the school she founded, now named "International School for Champions", here after unrest in Nairobi in 2007.
See also
*
Busia District, Uganda
References
{{Coord, 00, 27, 48, N, 34, 06, 19, E, region:KE-BUS_type:city(42596)_source:dewiki, display=title
Busia County
Cities in the Great Rift Valley
Kenya–Uganda border crossings
County capitals in Kenya
Populated places in Western Province (Kenya)