Truck drivers stuck in Malaba for hours over Uganda system upgrade

Long-distance truck drivers have been stranded in a 10-kilometre traffic snarl-up from Kimaet trading centre in Bungoma county to the border town of Malaba in Busia county due to system upgrade in Uganda.

Kenyan customs officials at the Malaba One Stop Border Post said the long jam was attributed to system upgrade on the Ugandan side, which has since been dispensed with, noting that normalcy will return in due course

Addressing the press in Amagoro, a truck driver, Mutisya Tavitha, said they arrived in Amagoro at 12 am last night and by 2pm yesterday they had not moved an inch.

“We are told the system is being upgraded on the Ugandan side of the border. We are not opposed to that, but Ugandan authorities should have found an alternative to prevent us from undergoing the suffering and trauma we are encountering,” he said.

He urged the Kenya and Uganda governments to find a lasting solution to constant trucks pile-ups along the Northern corridors of Malaba and Busia in conformity with the East African Protocol that entails smooth flow of goods and services devoid Non-tariff barriers.
Malaba border

“We have been stuck here for over 15 hours. What happens to those who are in Kanduyi now? How many days will they take to reach Malaba border?” he wondered.

Mutisya claimed some officers demand money from drivers to expedite clearance while some traders in Kenya also influence the existence of artificial snarl-ups to boost their trade, urging Kenyan President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni to convene a meeting to address these teething challenges facing long-distance truck drivers.

Another driver, Kasamba Suleiman, who was transporting a container from Mombasa to Kampala, urged the two countries to come to their rescue to enable them to continue with their journey to their destinations.