This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On June 29, 2019, heavy commercial vehicles piled up along the Malaba-Bungoma road in Busia, sparking concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
As of then, Busia had not recorded any cases of Covid-19, with 22 tests on suspected individuals yielding negative results, while two results were still being monitored.
Speaking at a leadership forum, MCAs called for alternative parking spaces for trailers before clearance, citing the risk of infection from truck drivers and their turn-boys.
"Some of the truck drivers and their turn boys are coming from counties that have already recorded many cases of Corona and when they reach in Busia, they mingle freely with our people," said Julius Ochou of Marachi East Ward.
County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong expressed concerns about the lenient treatment of Ugandan citizens crossing over into Kenya, despite the border closure.
"On the flip side, Kenyans are mishandled whenever they are seen in Uganda," Ojaamong said.
County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri warned that any Ugandan found in Kenya would be arrested and put in quarantine, unless they had health documents allowing them to be in the country.
