The oldest bus company in the East African region, Akamba Public Road Services Ltd, has started operations in Rwanda.

The Kenyan registered company started operating a Nairobi – Kigali route via Kampala on February 6, 2010.

The company said it is also offering courier services for those wishing to send letters or parcels within the region.

Akamba has introduced a 45-seater Scania bus that departs daily at 7:30am from Kigali at the Nyabugogo main taxi park. One will have to part with Rwf20,000 to Nairobi and Rwf8,000 for those stopping in Kampala.

"Our customers have always been asking us why we were not connecting to Kigali and now we have answered their prayers,” said Geoffrey Motari, the company’s country manager during an interview at his Nyabugogo office.

He also highlighted the fact that Akamba has a commendable road safety record thanks to the insistence on the use of speed governors for all their buses and defensive driving skills. 

In the near future, Akamba intends to extend its services to Bujumbura and also to increase the number of buses for the Kigali route.

"We also assure our customers reliability, for example in future we shall have a standby bus stationed here in Kigali just in case of anything,” Motari added.

Akamba hopes to capitalise on its favourable brand image of a reliable regional transporter in order to cut a niche in the already competitive transport industry.

It joins Starways and Kampala Coach on the lucrative Kigali – Nairobi route. 

The increase in the number of cross-border buses operating in Rwanda is viewed as further testimony of the business opportunities the country has to offer to the rest of East Africa.

Ends