Everything worth knowing before you book: choosing a seat, paying by M-Pesa, and what to carry to the border.
A good trip starts before you reach the bus. If you know what to choose, what to carry and what happens if your plans change, the ticket is the easiest part of the journey. Here is how booking with Mozaico works, step by step.
Start with the route and the date
Pick where you are travelling from and to, and the day you want to go, then press Search. You will see the departures for that day with the class, the time and the fare for each seat. Busy routes such as Nairobi to Kampala, Mombasa or Kisumu run every day. Smaller towns run weekly or every other week, so if there is no bus on your day, the page shows you the next dates that do run.
Choose your class: Business, First Class or VIP
Each class gives you more room and more on board than the one below it, and the fare rises to match.
Business is the standard coach seat: a reclining 2+2 seat with about 76 cm of legroom, air conditioning, USB charging, Wi-Fi, a washroom on board and hot drinks. First Class adds a semi-sleeper seat with leg rests, about 86 cm of legroom and a wider seat. VIP is the top of the range: a wide 2+1 recliner with about 104 cm of legroom, footrest, a screen in the seat back, a blanket and pillow, a snack pack and priority boarding. Because a VIP coach carries fewer seats than a Business coach, VIP costs noticeably more.
Pick your seat
After you choose the bus, the seat map shows every seat on that coach. Select the ones you want, up to 8 passengers in one booking. Taken seats are greyed out. Seat availability on the site is a guide, and our sales agent confirms your seats on WhatsApp.
Pay by M-Pesa or bank
Enter each passenger's name and ID or passport number, choose M-Pesa or bank payment, and press the WhatsApp button. Your booking details open in a message to our sales agent, who confirms your seats and sends the payment details and a reference. Always quote that reference when you pay, because it is what matches your payment to your booking. Your ticket then arrives on WhatsApp or by SMS. If money leaves your account and no ticket arrives, do not pay again: keep the reference and your payment message and contact customer care.
What to carry to the border
For any journey between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi you need a valid national ID, passport or temporary passport, and a yellow fever vaccination card. Both are mandatory. The name and document number on your ticket must match the document you travel with, so type them exactly as they appear.
Each passenger may carry up to 15 kg of personal luggage free. Heavier bags and anything other than personal travel luggage are charged, and you are given a receipt.
If your plans change
Tickets are not cancelled, but you can reschedule. Moving your ticket is free up to 3 hours before departure. After that a KSh 300 penalty applies, and a rescheduled ticket stays valid for 90 days. Be at your boarding point 30 minutes before departure, because coaches leave at the scheduled time.
That is the whole process. Search a route, choose your class, pick your seats and send your details to the agent.
