Busia is a town in the Eastern Region of

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of the Busia District, with the district headquarters located there.

History

In the Eastern Uganda campaign of 1979,

Tanzania People's Defence Force The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) () is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force, the Tanganyika Rifles. From its inception, ...

soldiers destroyed a Uganda Army truck near Busia, killing several Ugandan soldiers.

Location

Busia is at the border of

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. ...

, adjacent to the similarly named town of Busia, Kenya. Busia, Uganda is approximately , by road, east of

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

, the capital and largest city of Uganda. This is approximately , by road, south of the town of

Tororo Tororo is a town in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Tororo District. History Tororo was garrisoned by the Uganda Army (1971–1980), Uganda Army's Air an ...

, the nearest large town in Uganda. The geographical coordinates of Busia, Uganda are 0°28'01.0"N, 34°05'24.0"E (Latitude:0.4669; Longitude:34.0900). Busia, Uganda sits at an average elevation of above sea level.

Population

In 1969, the national census that year enumerated 1,146 inhabitants in the town. In 1980, that year's census enumerated 8,663 people. According to the 1991 national census, there were 27,967 people in the town. In 2002, the national census that year put the town's population at 36,630. In August 2014, the national population census and household survey put the population at 54,798. In 2020, the

Uganda Bureau of Statistics The Uganda Bureau of Statistics ("UBOS") is an agency of the Ugandan government. Formed by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998, the agency is mandated to "coordinate, monitor and supervise Uganda's National Statistical System". Locatio ...

(UBOS) estimated the mid-year population of Busia, Uganda at 64,900 people. The population agency calculated the average rate of the population growth of Busia, Uganda to be 2.94 percent annually, between 2014 and 2020.

Economy

In 2005, Busia was the busiest border crossing between Uganda and Kenya. In 2011, the border post averaged 894 vehicle crossings every 24 hours. It was expected that in May 2016, the construction of a one-stop-border-crossing between Busia, Uganda and Busia, Kenya will conclude. The construction on the Ugandan side was completed in May 2016, and that on the Kenyan side concluded in July 2017. The entire project cost US$12 million in both countries, funded by the

Department for International Development The Department for International Development (DFID) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2020. It was responsible for administering foreign aid ...

of the United Kingdom and

Global Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC; ; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department of the Government of Canada that ...

. The common upgraded border crossing is expected to be commissioned on Saturday, 24 February 2018, jointly by presidents

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

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. The one-stop-border-post (OSBP) at Busia, is the busiest in the

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 ...

, with Uganda's exports through the post being valued at UShs798 billion (approximately US$220 million) in the 2016/2017 financial year, according to a high-ranking official of the Uganda Revenue Authority.

References

Works cited

External links

About Busia, Uganda in 1994
{{Busia District Populated places in Eastern Region, Uganda Cities in the Great Rift Valley Kenya–Uganda border crossings Busia District, Uganda