This archive report was first published on 29 July 2020.
The East African Community-backed regional electronic cargo and driver tracking system has hit a roadblock, with Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) and Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) resisting its implementation.
According to Deusdedit Kakoko, the director general of TPA, Tanzania was not yet prepared to engage its ports operations under the planned system, which was earlier raised by the Kenyan government.
Kenya Transporters Association executive officer Dennis Ombok, on the other hand, cited a lack of training on the system's usage as the reason for their resistance.
"The launch is premature as we need some time for training on how to use it," Ombok said. "It involved downloading an app in a smartphone and the one-week piloting is a short time considering most drivers are not conversant with the system while some cannot even use a smartphone effectively."
The Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System (RECDTS) was launched on July 18, and requires all users to share their Covid-19 test results electronically to facilitate easy information exchange along the Central and Northern corridors.
Hosted at EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, the system will share a truck driver's information leveraging on the existing health information systems and revenue authorities in the region.
Once a cargo crew is tested, an electronic medical certificate is generated that will remain valid for 14 days and will be accessible electronically at designated sites of screening across partner states.
The implementation of the system comes after Presidents Paul Kagame, Yoweri Museveni, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Salva Kiir agreed to adopt it during a virtual conference on May 12 to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic response in the region.
