Transport resumes along Kenya-Uganda border – KBC

Transport has resumed across the Kenya-Uganda border following the deployment of security personnel to clear a blockade by tick drivers.

Truck drivers had staged a protest at the border point for almost five days following a dispute over the testing for Covid-19 in Uganda.

The protest resulted in a 50-kilometer-long traffic stretching all the way to Bungoma town.

A security meeting held Tuesday saw the removal of the blockade, with the Kenyan government accusing some players within the transport industry of undermining steps taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

To mitigate the challenges at the border, the government on Tuesday called on logistics companies to ensure their drivers get tested for Covid-19 at least 48 hours before travel.

The meeting between the East Africa Community Member States that resolved the impasse came hours after a meeting between the Kenyan Principal Secretaries for East African Community and Transport and truckers flopped after the parties failed to reach a consensus.

Representatives of drivers operating in the great lake region who have been protesting in Malaba, Busia County had vowed to stay put until their security is granted by the Government of Uganda.

The drivers lamented that they had been suffering in the hands by armed soldiers from the neighbouring country.

Transport Principal Secretary Solomon Kitungu urged the more than five thousand drivers to open up the highway and those aggrieved to file official complaints with relevant authorities in both countries.

East African Community Principal Secretary Kevit Desai acknowledged that dealing with Covid-19 pandemic requires collaborated effort from EAC member states.

Senators have in the meantime called on both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to find long-lasting solutions to the impasse