Screening of truck drivers at Malaba causes 15km jam

Compulsory coronavirus screening of truck drivers at Malaba border has led to a huge traffic snarl-up on the Malaba-Bungoma highway.

The traffic jam stretches about 15km from the Malaba border post to Kimait.

Officials in Malaba said Thursday every driver has to undergo mandatory screening before crossing the border into Kenya or Uganda.

The screening is done by Port Health officials.

Before the coronavirus was reported, there was no screening by Port Health officers. Travellers were only required to pass through the Immigration Department, where their passports were stamped before they were allowed to continue with their journey.

“All of them must be screened by Port Health staff,” Malaba Immigration Department head Francis Oketch said.

“If they are healthy, they move to the Immigration Department for passport clearance before filling a form issued by Port Health to show they have been tested and are fine.”

The process takes at least five minutes for one driver to be cleared.

Both Kenya and Uganda introduced tough measures at the border on Saturday and Sunday to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected over 40 people in Kenya and Uganda.

Oketch said drivers and turn-boys who do not comply with Port Health screening procedures will not allowed into the country.

He said since screening started, the cargo transporters have been compliant with the border rules.

Oketch said for the last three days, screening has been fast and border officials are doing all they can to clear drivers and turn-boys within the shortest time possible to ease traffic jam.

The Malaba-Bungoma highway has since Sunday experienced a huge traffic snarl-up by trucks ferrying goods into Uganda.

The traffic snarl-up was worse on Sunday and Monday after clearing agents disrupted operations at the border. They were protesting a decision by the Ugandan authorities to block them from entering Uganda. Uganda wanted Kenyan clearing agents to put on uniforms while in Uganda.

The issue was settled on Tuesday after Uganda relaxed the rules and allowed Kenyan clearing agents to enter Uganda with company badges.

Fatigued drivers have turned satellite towns such as Amagoro, Kocholya and Kimait into parking bays as they wait for their turn.

When the Kenya-Uganda border closed, the two countries said they would not allow pedestrians, motorcycle riders and personal car users to cross the border.

“Vehicles that are not affected by this suspension are trucks delivering cargo, delivery vans, and pick-ups delivering essential commodities and food. None of these vehicles should be used to ferry passengers,” Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said on Wednesday.

In Busia, the scenario is the same.

The ever-busy Busia-Kisumu highway has since Monday had a huge traffic snarl-up comprising long distance trucks. This is both on the Kenyan and Uganda sides of the border.

Uganda Revenue Authority Busia station manager Simon Edunet said Thursday the traffic pile-up was occasioned by the decision by Uganda to ban its own and foreign truck drivers from entering Kenya.

“The complication arises from Ugandan or foreign registered trucks which have no Kenyan drivers on board, thus the current pile up,” he said.

Uganda, Rwandan and DR Congo truck drivers are not allowed to enter Kenya. They drive their trucks up to the Kenyan border before handing over the trucks to Kenyan drivers who proceed with the journey to whichever town they pick cargo from.

The Kenyan drivers again drive the trucks with cargo back to the border from where they hand them over to the Ugandan, Rwandan or DR Congo drivers who drive them to the Kenya-Uganda border.

Edited by A. N