This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
Kenyan truckers have been banned from entering Tanzania through the Hororo border, effective immediately, as the country seeks to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The ban was announced by Tanga Regional Commissioner Martine Shidela, who accused Kenyans of spreading the virus to Tanzania.
"I direct authorities that as from today they are not allow any truckers coming from Kenya to enter our premises, we cannot allow them to continue shipping the virus into our country," Shidela said.
The Tanzanian official also warned Tanzanian traders against seeking to access the Kenyan market to purchase goods, citing a hostile environment for its truckers.
However, trucks heading to other countries in the south, such as Malawi, Zambia, and the DRC Congo, will still be allowed entry.
The directive comes after the Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman announced that 51 Tanzania nationals were denied entry into Kenya after testing positive for COVID-19 at various border points.
Kenya had already closed its border to all passenger traffic in a bid to avert a spike in COVID-19 infections, with only truck drivers who have tested negative for the virus allowed entry.
President Uhuru Kenyatta made the announcement, while Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said more laboratories would be set up at Kenya-Tanzania border points to ramp up testing for COVID-19.
As of May 18, Kenya had recorded 912 coronavirus cases, with 22 more patients discharged after recovering.
