NO SNARL-UP

Road to Kenya-Uganda border cleared of cargo traffic

Move seemed like a security precaution taken by cargo haulers ahead of the presidential results announcement

In Summary
  • On Monday when the Star took a tour of the road, the only visible movement was from light cars, boda bodas and pedestrians.
  • A cargo truck would, however, occasionally be seen descending downhill from Amagoro to Malaba where the One Stop Border Post is located.
A man transports sugarcane along the Malaba-Bungoma highway on Monday August 15, 2022. The road usually has heavy cargo traffic.
CLEAR: A man transports sugarcane along the Malaba-Bungoma highway on Monday August 15, 2022. The road usually has heavy cargo traffic.
Image: EMOJONG OSERE
A boda boda rider cruises towards Malaba border along the Bungoma-Malaba highway on Monday August 15, 2022.
NO HEAVY TRAFFIC: A boda boda rider cruises towards Malaba border along the Bungoma-Malaba highway on Monday August 15, 2022.
Image: EMOJONG OSERE

The Bungoma-Malaba highway that links Kenya to Uganda in Malaba town has no cargo traffic.

This is unlike the norm where heavy trucks transporting cargo into landlocked East Africa would be a key feature.

On Monday when the Star took a tour of the road, the only visible movement was from light cars, boda bodas and pedestrians.

A cargo truck would, however, occasionally be seen descending downhill from Amagoro to Malaba where the One Stop Border Post is located.

Two weeks to Tuesday's general election, there was a heavy presence of cargo trucks snaking their way across the border into Uganda to deliver cargo to landlocked East Africa.

The traffic snarl-up stretched for over 45km into Kenya.

The move to clear the road of traffic may have been taken by cargo haulers as a security precaution ahead of the announcement of presidential results expected today at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati is expected to declare the winner of the presidential race that pitted former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (ODM) and Deputy president William Ruto (UDA),  George Wajackoyah (Roots Party) and David Mwaure of Agano Party.

Business is generally running normally at the border town of Malaba, although on a low-scale.

The last day heavy cargo traffic was witnessed along the Malaba-Bungoma highway that connects Mombasa to Malaba border was Wednesday when the IEBC began the marathon of tallying results of the election where Kenyans went to the polls to elect President, Senators, Governors, MPs, Woman Representatives and MCAs.

At the customs yard at the One Stop Border Post in Malaba, movement is unrestricted.

Kenyans and Ugandans conducting business across the border are freely moving.

Unlike the past where the customs yard would be full of cargo trucks, this time, the traffic is on a lower-scale.

Kenyans have anxiously been waiting for the announcement of presidential results since they cast their votes on Tuesday last week.

The IEBC said on Friday the delay in the announcement of the presidential results was occasioned by delayed arrival of returning officers to the national tallying centre with results from constituencies and counties.

The latest update from the IEBC indicates the presidential results will be announced at 3pm East African time.

By the time the Star filed this story, Wajackoyah and Mwaure had arrived at Bomas ahead of the ‘big’ announcement.

A matatu moves from the border town of Malaba towards Bungoma as Kenyans awaited for the announcement of presidential results on August 15, 2022.
A matatu moves from the border town of Malaba towards Bungoma as Kenyans awaited for the announcement of presidential results on August 15, 2022.
Image: image: EMOJONG OSERE
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