The government of Uganda has offered a week-long free COVID-19 test at its entry points with Kenya “to clear truck traffic snarl-up”.
The trucks at the borders are said to have caused intra-EAC trade disruption on the Northern Transit Corridor.
The build-up has come after a joint multi-sectoral meeting of the ministers or cabinet secretaries responsible for EAC Affairs, health and transport.
The two borders of Busia and Malaba have been flocked with over 4,500 trucks due to the mandatory COVID-19 testing introduced by the authorities in Uganda on December 20, 2021.
The meeting agreed that this was a deviation from the 14 days COVID-19 testing period that was agreed at the regional level and monitored through the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System (TECDTS).
The multi-sectoral ministerial meeting resolved that partner states should always give notice to each other before deviations from the protocols of the COVID-19 measures.
“This will mitigate the impact on the movement of goods, persons, workers and services across the region,” said Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers, Adan Mohammed.
The partner states were also directed to consider COVID-19 certificates from accredited or nationally recognised laboratories, valid for 14 hours for fully vaccinated drivers and 72 hours for unvaccinated truck drivers.
They appealed to partner states to embark on the implementation of the EACPass to speed up the verification of negative COVID-19 test results.
“The EACPass is a system that integrates all EAC Partner States’ negative test results for COVID-19 and those vaccinated and can easily be accessed on the mobile phone. It is set to ease the turnaround time at border points,” said Dr Peter Mathuki EAC Secretary-General.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for January 14, 2022, to hold further discussions on the COVID-19 measures in the region so that the mobility of persons and goods could be eased in the region.
Trucks pile-up
Last week, the East African reported that trucks had started to pile up at the Kenya-Uganda border towns of Busia and Malaba.
This was caused by the orders from the government of Uganda that requires mandatory COVID-19 tests for all drivers. This led the drivers to threaten to stop the shipping of cargo through the Northern Corridor if the solution is not found.
The directive for mandatory COVID-19 testing of all incoming travellers was announced on December 20, 2021, resulting in a long queue since January 1, 2022.
“I did COVID-19 test at Inland Container Depot in Nairobi and I have a valid certificate which is still valid for seven days. Why am I forced to get tested again?” Mohammed Mahmud, a truck driver, told the East African.
The Ugandan government in the new directive noted that the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System (RECDTS) is to be reviewed, citing the new Omicron variant which has a short incubation period and high transmissibility.
The Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) has threatened to suspend the shipping of cargo until the Ugandan government revokes its directive.