This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
On May 19, 2020, six Kenyan truck drivers were denied access to Tanzania, sparking a call for government intervention. The drivers, who were detained at the Sirare border in Tanzania, claim they have been subjected to unjust detention.
According to Antony Juma, a truck driver, the Tanzanian authorities have openly expressed their dissatisfaction with the treatment of Tanzanian truck drivers in Kenya. Juma stated that the Tanzanian officers have refused to release their trucks, citing a lack of support from the Kenyan authorities stationed at the Kenya revenue offices at Isebania.
The detained truck drivers are now seeking the Kenyan government's help to diplomatically resolve the issue and allow them to return to Kenya. This is not the first time Kenyan truck drivers have faced harassment and detention at the Isebania border, with several drivers being forced to cancel their journeys in early May due to similar issues.
Isebania ward MCA Elias Nyaure has urged the leaders of both countries to meet and resolve the differences that are causing tension at their borders. Nyaure emphasized that the current COVID-19 pandemic should not be used as an excuse to create a frosty relationship between the two countries.
