This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, the East Africa Community States implemented new measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus through long-distance drivers. The Kenya Transport Association (KTA) has decried these measures, calling them punitive.
The measures require KTA's 15,000 drivers to undergo testing for Covid-19 disease before picking cargo for the transit market. KTA chief executive officer Dennis Ombok stated that the initial test costs Sh6000 per driver, while the subsequent test costs Sh2000. This requirement has caused anxiety among stakeholders who fear it will paralyze their businesses.
According to Ombok, the government directive entered into force on Monday, causing concern among transport stakeholders. The Ministry of Health has listed hospitals where the drivers should undergo coronavirus tests. The drivers will also be required to rest in designated places along the transport corridor as they deliver cargo.
“We wonder why we have been asked to pay Sh6000 for each driver to be tested and yet residents of Mombasa County are getting the tests for free. We are asking the government to scrap these charges because they are punitive and yet transport has been listed as an essential service during this period of Covid-19 disease,” Ombok said.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (Kifwa) Roy Mwanthi has appealed to authorities to fast-track the testing of truck drivers for Covid-19 at the border to facilitate transit trade. “Truck drivers have been stranded at the border with Uganda for several days now and have complained of being harassed. We are asking the government to fast-track testing at the border. That is how we can succeed in transit trade,” he said.
