Buses Headed To Western Kenya Already Fully Booked For Christmas

As the Christmas holidays fast approach, Nairobians have already started preparing to hit the road for ‘shags’ to avoid the last-minute rush.

People from western Kenya especially started booking seats as early as October. A spot check shows that buses such as Ena Coach, Guardian service, and Easy Coach from Nairobi on routes such as Busia, Siaya, Bondo, Mumias, and Kakamega are booked to a capacity up to December 24.

The bus Fare has risen from 1,000 shillings to 1,200 shillings, a reprieve for travelers who used to pay up to Ksh1,600. The prices are further expected to triple to between 2,500 shillings and 3,000 shillings for latecomers.

These buses started recording a higher rate of bookings after the night travel ban was lifted during the Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20.

As opposed to the last-minute rush culture of many Kenyans, most now prefer to start the process early to avoid scrambling for the few seats that will be left before Christmas and new year celebrations.

Airlines are also trading in the same trend. With increased early bookings, the ticket prices are expected to rise further in the coming days.

A Nairobi-Mombasa flight on Jambojet for example would go as high as Sh13,000. Christmas Eve attracts the highest fares of up to 17, 000 shillings for a one-way ticket.