This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, the State cleared a backlog of truckers at the Busia Airstrip, but the move has sparked a new demand from residents for mass testing for coronavirus.
According to reports, hundreds of heavy commercial trucks had parked at the airstrip for close to two months as drivers waited for their test results and subsequent clearance to cross the border.
When The Standard visited the airstrip, only three trucks were still parked there, with one experiencing a mechanical problem and the other two belonging to drivers recovering at Alupe isolation centre.
During the truckers' stay, residents exploited the opportunity to open small businesses, including eateries selling food for the drivers and caretakers converting rooms as lodgings.
However, with the drivers now cleared off the airstrip, residents are expressing mixed reactions, with some seeing it as a relief and others bemoaning the loss of business.
Wycliffe Lumala, a local resident, stated, 'At least someone heard our concerns and finally the drivers with their trailers are not at the airstrip.'
David Mukabi, Head of Response Team, had warned that many community infections were expected since some truckers, who tested positive, had interacted with locals.
Mass testing is now set to target identified hot spot areas, particularly near Busia and Malaba towns, after the exercise was disrupted by locals who claimed many of the people who turned up were not residents but had been ferried from other places.
