What you need to know before booking a car in Uganda

 Transport is one of the main pillars of any economy. It is impossible to talk about any business activity anywhere without the need for transport and logistics entering the conversation. Whether you are planning a construction project or a holiday deep in Bwindi impenetrable national park, at one point you have to decide on the means of transport. 

The car rental industry in Uganda can be divided into four categories: 
Events Car rentals 
Tourist Car rentals 
Project Car rentals 
Town service car rentals 
Events Car Rental Agencies  

If you have heard of someone hiring a car for 2 million Uganda shillings a day; chances are very hire they were renting a car for a wedding ceremony, luxury airport transfer or a video shot. In the events car rental industry of Uganda; the main focus is on luxurious cars. These cars are quoted with a driver and fuel in the most cases. 

Popular cars rented out for events in Uganda include but not limited to range rovers, Land cruiser 300s, and Mercedes Benz. The rates vary according to the time of year. December stands out as the most expensive time of the year to hire a car for an event. 

Before booking with any car rental agency in Uganda, first understand their area of specialization. Any company that offers car rental services that fit in all the four categories are likely to be brokers. 

TouristCar Rental Agencies 
The tours and travel industry is among the top three foreign exchange earners for Uganda. When we talk about car rental Uganda; the tourist car rental business comes on top of any other category.

There are hundreds of car rental agencies specializing in offering cars specifically for purposes of exploring Uganda. Unlike other categories, the tourist car rental agencies have an online presence. 

Tourist car rental agencies offer car rentals for self drive as well as car rentals with driver. Most of the people that rent from these companies also book gorilla trekking permits and chimpanzee tracking permits through these agencies.

The rates per day are relatively lower than those charged by events car rental agencies. They range from as low as Ugx 150,000 per day to Ugx 950,000 per day. 

The most popular cars rented out in this category of car rentals include; the Rav4s, Land cruiser Prados, Land cruiser GX, Land cruiser V8 and the classic safari Land cruiser. 

Project Car rentals 
Project car rental agencies are not very popular online. They specialize in renting out cars for countryside projects, and construction. In most cases, these kinds of rentals require bidding and for that reason, a lot of corruption is often involved in securing a contract.  

It is not easy to find a car rental agency that specializes in this field. This car rental category is fogged with hundreds of brokers.
However sometimes, tourist car rental agencies also offer car rental services to people who intend to do mostly supervisory work up work as well as elsewhere in Uganda’s countryside.

If you intend to hire big cars such as Sino trucks, hire from logistics companies instead of mere car rental agencies. 

The most popular car in this category is the Toyota Hilux or any other double cabin brand. They usually hire for a minimum of three months. In other instances they simply get an annual car lease instead of hiring per day. 

Town Service Car Rentals 
Town service car rental agencies do not also have an online presence. They do not offer their cars for self drive rentals. You have to hire with a driver. Unlike car rental with a driver in the tourist car rental category, Town service car rental agencies only hire out their cars with a driver. 

Drivers in the town service car rental industry are paid very little money compared to drivers in the tourist car rental category. This is partly because tourist cars are often driven by tour guides who also double as driver. In other words, you have on person doing two jobs. 

Booking a rental car in Uganda 
Once you have identified the category of the rental car you intend to hire; set out to search for car companies or individuals that specialize in renting out cars in that category. They easiest category to rent from is the tourist car rental category given their online presence as well as reviews from former clients that can easily guide you when making your rental decision. 

Before you book with any company, confirm its physical address. It is important to note that there is no licensed company in Uganda that does not have any branding outside their offices. If you do not have a way to access their offices, you can also check the URSB website to confirm whether you are dealing with a registered company.  
You can book through international agencies like Kayak or directly with a local car rental agency.