Kenya truck backlog at Malaba border finally clears
Trucks waiting clearance to enter Uganda from Malaba, at the border with Kenya. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- At the Busia border, the queue has reduced from more than 40 kilometres to less than three kilometres, while Malaba, where the queue had stretched for more than 80 kilometres, is now between three and five kilometres, which authorities deem “normal jam”.
The backlog of trucks at Busia and Malaba borders on the Kenya side has cleared, bringing an end to weeks of long queues and disruption in supply of essential goods.
At the Busia border, the queue has reduced from more than 40 kilometres to less than three kilometres, while Malaba, where the queue had stretched for more than 80 kilometres, is now between three and five kilometres, which authorities deem “normal jam”.
Mr Alex Nsubuga, a truck driver, told Daily Monitor at the Malaba border on Monday that it took him less than 30 minutes to cross into Uganda, which had previously taken him more than a week.
Mr John Rex Achila, the Busia Resident District Commissioner, attributed the normal flow to instructions issued by the Works Minister, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, and his Kenyan counterpart, Mr James Macharia.
Solution
The joint communique signed last month between Kampala and Nairobi at the Busia and Malaba borders laid out 17 resolutions aimed at clearing the jam.
“The two ministers halted multiple scanning by both countries, ordered the stoppage of weigh bridges until the jam was cleared and directed Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), ordered Port Health to deploy more staff and a halt on mandatory tests at the borders,” Mr Achila said.
Gen Wamala and Mr Macharia among others, agreed to have empty trucks pass through Lwakhakha border to ensure faster clearance of trucks arriving at the border from Kenya.
Mr Yovan Mangara, the chairperson of the clearing agents at Malaba border, blamed the delays on the recently-installed scanners in Busia and Malaba by KRA.
He said the operators for the equipment are based in Nairobi, and have to get the full truck details before it’s allowed to proceed, yet it takes over 30 minutes to scan one truck.
Mr Masaba urged KRA to stop scanning empty trucks, while Mr Mangara said KRA should install better scanners, which can effectively do the work within a short time.
The backlog on the northern corridor was sparked off by truck drivers who were protesting the mandatory Covid-19 testing fees of $30 (about Shs104,000).
The two-week protest resulted in long queues on the Malaba border which is a major route for cargo, while the Busia border is the main entry for fuel into the country and other regional states.
