Tanzania has agreed to Covid-19 testing of drivers entering Kenya, ending a two-week stalemate that halted bilateral trade at the Namanga border point.
The border at Namanga has now fully reopened as Tanzania scrapped its demand that drivers will not wait for results after testing.
Tanzanian spokesperson and Longido district commissioner Frank Mwaisumbe said his country has agreed with Kenya on testing procedures, getting drivers’ contacts and letting them proceed.
Mwaisumbe spoke as Kenyan East African Community CS Adan Mohammed was meeting with truckers and traders in Namanga.
“The decision on re-opening of the border after two weeks of disagreements was reached at the highest levels between Kenya and Tanzania,” Mohammed said.
Mwaisumbe said truck drivers from both sides will be tested and allowed to proceed without awaiting results but they will leave contact details for tracing.
“We agreed drivers will not waste time at the border after taking tests, but will leave their contacts so when results come out they are briefed wherever they are,” Mwaisumbe told the Star on the telephone from Tanzania.
He said drivers found to be positive will be apprehended wherever they are and taken to isolation centres on both sides of the border.
Mohammed, who toured the border of Namanga with PS Kevit Desai, said Kenya also insisted testing will be done on Tanzanian truck drivers.
Mohammed said strict measures will be taken to ensure the testing of long-haul truckers takes the shortest possible time, 24 hours, before their results are known.
“The idea is to open up trade between the two countries and try to bring back normalcy. We insist testing is a must and the health certificates issued to drivers for two weeks is not enough. We will do so regularly,” Mohammed said.
About 100 trucks are cleared at the Namanga border every day and testing will be speeded up.
It was not immediately clear why Kenya accepted Tanzania’s condition as some truckers might test positive and spread the infection before they are notified and isolated.
Peter Juma, a resident of Namanga, said Covid-19-positive drivers have been given a direct ticket to Nairobi.
“It takes about four hours for a truck to arrive in Nairobi and maybe the results will not have come out,” Juma said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
