mombasa

It would help if we knew your starting point......

Presume you are goin from Nairobi?

I can't remember what company I went with but it is about 8-9 hours, depends on traffic etc. I did go to kisumu with guardian angel and found them fine. Tbh I don't there is a massive difference between the companies, but if you're looking for comfort you can get a 1st class or VIP for not a lot more.

Alternatively, why not get the overnight train, I'm first and second class u get a bed, breakfast with both, dinner with first. It's also an interesting way to see Kenya

Presume you are goin from Nairobi?

As this is posted on the Uganda forum would it not be more sensible to assume that they are going from Kampala?

Cheers for that helpful contribution bigal but I was just browsing the Africa forum and didn't notice. As they would have to stop in Nairobi anyway, I don't see the point of your interjection.

On my way from Jinja to Nairobi, I travelled in stages because it was cheaper and more convenient time-wise. From Jinja I split a taxi to the Malaba border, walked across the border on foot, then took one of the many matatus waiting at the Kenyan side of the border to Eldoret (2.5 hours). When you get off, there's a bus stop across the street where I took a minibus to Nairobi (6-7 hours). From Nairobi, there were multiple buses to Mombasa (I took one to Lamu after staying a night in Nairobi and it was looong, I'm guessing Nairobi to Mombasa would be at least another 8 hours).

There are buses (Akamba or another company) from Malaba straight to Nairobi, but I didn't take it because I had to wait a really long time for it (so check the "schedule" with locals). I don't know if you can purchase a ticket from Malaba straight to Mombasa, hopefully you can, but worse case scenario is that you a) get off in Nairobi and switch buses to Mombasa or b) take a matatu to a town close to the border and take a bus straight to Mombasa. I've taken a 10 hour Akamba bus ride to elsewhere in Kenya and it was decently comfortable (more space than matatus).

thanks for the replies am starting in uganda

If local press accounts are anything to go by, Akamba has folded.

If you're going to do it in stages like that, why not just go by bus and do it all in one shot? Take a bus from Kmapala/Jinja (it's the same bus) to Mombassa. You'll have to swap busses, either in Eldorate or Nairobi. I suggest Elderate because then you're changing buses in the middle of th afternoon - where as in Nairobi you'll be doing that at midnight.
The bus ride is very long, took me 26 hours and book early, otherwise you'll get a seat on the back and then you'll want to kill yourself.