This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Published on June 24, 2020, the Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) has raised concerns over delayed processing of coronavirus results for truck drivers.
The delayed clearance is having a negative impact on trucking businesses, with some drivers waiting for 9 to 14 days at the borders to get their results.
According to KTA Chief Operating Officer Mercy Ireri, the delay is posing a serious threat to the transport industry. Manufacturers and transporters are unable to agree on who bears accommodation costs incurred by drivers as they wait for the results.
"It has even gone for 14 days where we are not getting our results. Mombasa and Nairobi are said to have the capacity of testing up to 200 samples, but they barely test 100. So every day we have a backlog of over 300 drivers who have not gotten tested and they have to get to the port to collect or deliver cargo," Ireri said.
The government made it mandatory for truck drivers to take COVID-19 tests 48 hours before entering or exiting border points on May 6. However, the delayed clearance is causing long queues at border posts, leading to traffic snarl-ups.
