Long-Distance Drivers Association Warns of Insecurity After Six Kenyan Truckers Reported Captured in DRC

The Long-Distance Drivers and Conductors Association of Kenya (LoDCA) released a security alert on Wednesday, October 14, cautioning Kenyan truck drivers about deteriorating safety on the Mahagi-to-Kisangani corridor after six drivers were said to have been seized by rebels but later found unharmed.

The advisory specified that the route traverses the towns of Pimbo, Djugu, Igabriel and Bunia, and quoted LoDCA as stating, “Serious security concerns have been reported along the route from Mahagi to Kisangani, passing through Pimbo, Djugu, Igabriel and Bunia.”

LoDCA added that “Reports indicate that six drivers, including Kenyans, had been captured by rebels but have since been found safe and sound,” while noting that it had not disclosed how the drivers were recovered.

Photographs circulating after the incident showed trucks with shattered windows, deflated tyres, missing registration plates and cargo strewn on the ground, suggesting that the vehicles had been attacked or looted.

The association also highlighted reports that dozens of people were killed on the same day, describing the situation as a heightened crisis for Kenyan drivers using the corridor.

Drivers waiting in Mahagi were urged to postpone their trips until reliable security assessments confirm improvement, and those already inside the DRC were instructed to keep relatives, colleagues and association officials informed, remain in secure locations and avoid high-risk areas.

The alert follows a pattern of violence affecting Kenyan transporters in the DRC, including January unrest on the Kasumbalesa-Lubumbashi-Kolwezi corridor that saw cargo trucks set alight and roads blocked, the April killing of driver Edwin Njuguna in Bunia, the detention of another Kenyan driver in Beni, and an August attack that killed four Kenyan drivers and their co-drivers on the Beni-Kisangani road, which led operators to halt movements and park trailers in Mambasa, Ituri Province.

While the DRC remains a vital market for East African trade, the recurring attacks and criminal activity have raised concerns about the safety of cross-border commerce and the adequacy of existing security arrangements for Kenyan transport workers.