Both are well used, functioning border posts, but each has its own quirks worth knowing in advance.

Busia sits on the Kenya-Uganda border and is one of the busiest crossings in East Africa, used by both commercial traffic and travellers moving between Nairobi or the Mara and Uganda. The crossing itself involves exiting Kenyan immigration, walking or driving a short distance, then entering Ugandan immigration, with passport and visa checks, plus a yellow fever certificate check, on both sides. Because it is a busy commercial route, expect queues, particularly around midday and with truck traffic, which can add real time to what should be a fairly quick process. Budget extra time here rather than cutting a tight connection close.

Katuna, on the Uganda side, known as Gatuna on the Rwanda side, is the main land crossing between Uganda and Rwanda, commonly used by travellers combining gorilla trekking in both Bwindi and Volcanoes National Park. This crossing is generally smoother and quicker than Busia, with a more modern one-stop border post facility that lets you clear both countries’ immigration in a single stop rather than two separate buildings, which speeds things up considerably.

At either crossing, have your passport, visa or EATV approval, and yellow fever certificate ready and accessible, not buried in checked luggage. If you are self-driving or in a private vehicle, additional vehicle documentation and sometimes a small road toll or insurance requirement applies, so check this with your operator or car hire company in advance.

Money changers operate informally at both borders. Rates are usually reasonable but not the best available, so changing only a small amount for immediate needs, rather than a large sum, is the sensible approach.