The border between Rwanda and Uganda – Gatuna Border Post – finally opens after three years of closure on Monday March 7, paving way for traffic across the border located in Gicumbi District.

The reopening was part of the implementation of a directive by the cabinet issued on Friday March 4, that all land borders linking Rwanda to neighbouring countries would reopen on Monday.

All land borders have been effectively closed for two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and only emergency travellers like returning nationals and those transporting merchandise destined or transitioning through Rwanda were being allowed to cross.

For the Gatuna border particularly, it has been closed for three years, following an advisory by the Government of Rwanda to its citizens warning them against travelling to Uganda where their safety was not guaranteed.

The advisory was prompted by a spate of abductions and torture targeting Rwandans in Uganda.

The reopening of the border, which took place on February 1, but subject to Covid-19 protocols, was a culmination of efforts by the two countries to de-escalate tensions between them.

On the first day of the reopening of the border, there was limited activity, with some passengers becoming victims of flaws in communication, after they got to know at the border that they would need a PCR test to be able to cross.

 Jean Claude Gatege was heading to Kenya through Uganda. Apart from not being aware of the PCR test results requirement, he thinks the restrictions should be eased.

"Other borders only require a rapid test. Responsible organs should help us and make it easier for people crossing through this border," Gatege told The New Times. Many passengers who had travelled by a bus operated by local transport company; Volcano Bus Company, headed to Kampala from Kigali, got to know about this requirement at the border.

Health workers check the status of  travellers Covid 19 vaccination before crossing the border at Gatuna.

The Volcano bus was later in the afternoon allowed to proceed to Kampala after hours at the border.

According to Yolande Makolo, the Government Spokesperson, a negative PCR test is not a requirement for entry on the Rwandan side, but travellers crossing into Uganda were required to show a negative PCR test on the Ugandan side of the border.

"Different countries have different entry requirements as regards Covid-19. On the Rwandan side, we have testing services available at cost, to enable travellers to comply with the requirements of their destination country,” Makolo told The New Times on Monday.

A view of the border

She said that Rwanda is carrying out randomised rapid testing on travelers entering the land borders and this cost covered by the government.

She added that being the first day of implementation of the new instructions on land border reopening, not everything ran perfectly but issues were quickly being ironed out.

Movements of people at the border during the reopening on March 7

The reopening was part of the implementation of a directive by the cabinet issued on Friday March 4.