By Robert Mutasi 
Jambojet will resume daily flights between Nairobi and Entebbe from October 1, marking its return to the Ugandan market six years after the route was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The low-cost carrier said the revived Nairobi-Entebbe service will offer both passenger and cargo services, injecting fresh competition and capacity into one of East Africa’s busiest aviation corridors.
One-way fares will start from about Sh22,950, with the airline targeting business travellers, tourists and small-scale traders who move frequently between the two countries.
Jambojet Chief Executive Karanja Ndegwa said the return to Uganda is part of the airline’s broader regional expansion strategy beyond its domestic Kenyan network.
“Our return to Uganda is a strategic step forward in our mission to strengthen regional connectivity. We see significant opportunities to support business, tourism and trade between Kenya and Uganda while providing travellers with affordable, reliable and convenient flying experience that Jambojet is known for,” said Ndegwa.
The timing is critical. An estimated 300,000 passengers are projected to travel between Kenya and Uganda in 2026, driven by growing intra-African trade, tourism recovery, and cross-border investments.
The new service is expected to lower travel costs on the route, stimulate more frequent business trips, and ease movement for traders who rely on air cargo for high-value, time-sensitive goods.
Jambojet will also carry cargo and parcels, opening an additional channel for the movement of goods at a time when regional trade under the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area is gaining momentum.
For Eldoret and the larger North Rift economic bloc, the impact will be indirect but significant. The town is a key agricultural and commercial hub, exporting fresh produce, textiles, and manufactured goods, and hosting a growing number of entrepreneurs with business links to Uganda.
Through Jambojet’s Nairobi hub, travellers from Eldoret can now connect seamlessly to Entebbe via Wilson or JKIA, and cargo from Eldoret can reach Kampala markets faster, reducing reliance on long-haul road transport.
The route also strengthens Nairobi’s position as a regional aviation hub, while giving Ugandan travellers easy access to Kenya’s coastal tourism circuit — Mombasa, Diani, Malindi and Lamu — through Jambojet’s domestic network.
Jambojet first launched Entebbe flights in 2018 before suspending international operations during the pandemic. Since then, it has rebuilt its domestic strength, growing its active fleet to 11 aircraft as of April this year and recently carrying its 10 millionth passenger.
The airline posted an on-time performance of 86.45 percent in July.The resumption places Jambojet back into an increasingly competitive East African market where Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines and other carriers are battling for business and leisure travellers.
More Than Just a Flight
The return of Jambojet to Entebbe is more than an airline route announcement; it is a signal that affordable regional connectivity is finally being taken seriously as an engine for East African economic integration. For too long, it has been cheaper to fly from Nairobi to Dubai than to neighbouring Entebbe.
In my view, this move will be particularly transformative for secondary business hubs like Eldoret. If Jambojet maintains low fares and reliable cargo services, small traders and farmers from Uasin Gishu and beyond will for the first time have a truly viable air link to Uganda, unlocking markets that were previously out of reach. That is how regional economies grow — not just through capital-to-capital flights, but by connecting the productive heartlands.