This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
Since Kigali blockaded the Gatuna border post in February, Rwandans have been forced to take a detour through Tanzania to reach Uganda.
Travellers use the Rusumo route in the southeast, cross into Tanzania, and then proceed to Kampala, a gruelling 12-hour journey.
Before the border closure, the journey via Gatuna was four hours shorter.
Passengers catch buses to the Tanzania side from which they board others to Kampala, with Matunda Bus operating services to Rusumo.
Some travellers have defied the advisory by Kigali, risking arrest, detention, and torture by Ugandan security agents, due to business interests and families in Uganda.
Olivier Nduhungirehe, State Minister for EAC Affairs, said that if people still travel to Uganda, it is 'up to them.'
He added that Rwanda strongly advises against travel to Uganda due to security concerns.
The EastAfrican toured the border area at Gatuna and found the informal cross-border trade dead, with trade in foodstuff now one way, with Ugandans allowed to cross into Rwanda to buy or sell goods.
Forex shops are still thriving due to a large number of Ugandans and tourists who cross between both countries.
However, Gatuna remains closed to Rwandan citizens and cargo trucks, even after construction works were completed in mid-July.
Until its closure, Gatuna was the busiest border crossing between the two countries, recording 35,000 exits and 32,000 entries monthly.
Immigration officials said only Rwandan diplomats are allowed to cross into Uganda, while Rwandan cab drivers transporting passengers to the nearby town in Kabale are also allowed.
Rwanda accepts virtually no imports from Uganda, particularly cement and beverages, with Ugandan officials accusing Kigali of imposing restrictions on regional trade against the EAC Common Market Protocol.
However, Rwandan officials argue that they are simply enforcing quality standards.
Unlike road travel, which is heavily restricted by Rwandan authorities, air travel to Uganda remains open for Rwandans, with a return ticket from Kigali to Entebbe costing $450.
Some Rwandans have been deported from Uganda in the past months, and a group of nine have gone to the East African Court of Justice to sue Uganda for alleged illegal arrest, torture, and deportation.
Uganda has denied the allegations.
