Ministry of Health Uganda Ainebyoona Emmanuel has cleared the air on the delayed clearance of truck drivers who are stuck at the Uganda – Kenya Malaba border point following a protest that erupted on October 2nd.
In a tweet by the ministry’s mouthpiece, Dr. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, ministry admitted that there is a number of trucks stuck at the border caused by delays in COVID-19 testing and clearances stating that the ministry is working tooth and nail with stakeholders to ease the testing exercise.
“We have noted that there are a number of trucks stuck at Malaba border. We are working with all the stakeholders to devise necessary interventions to quicken the COVID19 testing and address any other bottlenecks. Revision in cost of testing also being discussed,” (@ainbyoo) Tweeted.
Last week on Friday, truck drivers majority of whom from Kenya held protests at the Malaba border point in Busia county over unnecessary delays in clearances to access entry in Uganda.
These accused the Ugandan gov’t of taking long to release COVID-19 results and overcharging testing fee from tested truck drivers something they say has affected their business movements and products.
Its is known that gov’t passed rules requiring all truck drivers from neighbouring states to first undergo mandatory COVID-19 tests at the border if they were to be allowed entry in to the country.
This was done as a mean of containing the easy spread of corona virus importated cases.
However, there has been reports of laxity among the health workers who take ages to release test results which has become a threat to cross-border businesses.
Today, Uganda has average cumulative of 9,260 COVID-19 cases, 5,588 Recoveries and 85 Fatalities from tests carried out on October 6.
