A line drawn by colonial powers in the late 19th century, the 391-kilometer border between Tanzania and Uganda cuts directly across the culture and landscape of the Lake Victoria basin. This frontier, which runs from the lake to the Rwandan border, has a history marked by conflict but today serves as an important secondary trade route for the region.
Your primary crossing point is at Mutukula. This border post, which was the site of a key battle during the 1979 Uganda-Tanzania War, has been rebuilt into a modern One-Stop Border Post. This efficient system allows you to complete all customs and immigration formalities for both countries in a single building, greatly simplifying the process. The crossing connects the port of Dar es Salaam via Tanzanian highways to the Ugandan interior.
The journey to Mutukula takes you through a landscape of rolling hills and agricultural land, a fertile region that has sustained communities for centuries. The border is less congested than the busier corridors in Kenya, offering a more relaxed, if still thorough, crossing experience. It is a passage that not only connects two major East African nations but also traverses a region with a deep and complex history, from ancient kingdoms to modern conflicts and alliances.