A large queue of traffic stretching as far as 40km (25 miles) is building up at the Kenya-Uganda border as lorry drivers await mandatory coronavirus testing.
Five lorry drivers tested positive for Covid-19 after crossing into Uganda, prompting the Kenya government to initiate the mass testing of them.
Locals are worried some drivers could potentially spread the virus, because as they await the testing, they freely mingle in the shopping centres and villages in search of supplies, accommodation and company.
It’s a nightmare for both truck drivers and the locals on the Kenyan side of the border. The trucks have occupied one half of the road from the border, with the tailback now approaching Bungoma town, some 40km (25 miles) away.
Some drivers have complained of fatigue and the slow pace of the testing, and have questioned why it is not done around the clock.
Kenya’s ministry of health said on Monday it will send more medical personnel and test kits to the border to increase the speed of testing.
But things could get a lot more difficult for truck operators, with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni set to issue new guidelines on testing later on Tuesday.
President Museveni had identified land borders and lorry drivers as the next battle front in tackling the coronavirus.
