Museveni closes border with Kenya over Covid-19 dispute

Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, has ordered shut the border his country shares with Kenya, following a disagreement over cross-border traffic, as both countries look to contain the coronavirus.

The directive, which came into force on Wednesday, permits cargo transport only, to travel between the two countries.

Uganda accused Kenya of delaying trucks on their side of the border, causing long congestion and significant layovers for drivers.

The Kenyan Transport Authority (KTA) has admitted to delays at certain border points, but denies accusations that they are by design.

According to Mercy Ireri, a KTA official, the real reason for the delay is a lack of health officials operating at the borders, which has led to a backlog.

“Clearance of trucks ends at 14.00hrs, meaning we have five dead hours between when the clearance stops and the when the curfew starts.

“Only 23 trucks are cleared at the border in Kenya in an hour. That is a very low number”.

She added that as of Tuesday morning, the queue of trucks awaiting clearance on to cross into Uganda numbered 1,040.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the work of truck drivers across East Africa, who must now sign self-declaration forms when they cross a border.

The forms state that the driver, even if they do not present symptoms, must leave their truck and self-isolate for a 14-day period at a government facility upon entering a new country.

Photo: Nation Media Group