South Sudan also remains a major challenge. KENYAN long-distance drivers are grounding trucks destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the killing of four of their colleagues by suspected rebels along the Beni-Kisangani route. This comes amid fresh concerns over the disruption of regional trade through the Northern Corridor.
The latest killings of two drivers and their co-drivers have sent shockwaves through the trucking industry, with local transport associations urging drivers to avoid the Beni-Kisangani route until security is restored. As of Tuesday, Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers Union official Roman Waema said several Kenyan drivers had parked their trucks in Mambasa, Ituri Province, rather than risk proceeding into areas considered unsafe.
“Our drivers who are in Congo have been forced to park and wait, especially in an area called Mambasa. The situation is not good,” Waema said, “For those who are yet to make it across, they are been urged to avoid the country for now.” The disruption threatens cargo flows from the Port of Mombasa to the landlocked DRC, which is the third-largest transit destination for cargo handled at the Kenyan port, accounting for 7.2 per cent of total transit volumes.
Uganda takes the largest share at 83.2 per cent, followed by South Sudan at 9.9 per cent, while Tanzania and Rwanda account for 3.2 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively. The 1,700-kilometre Northern Corridor linking Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC is a critical artery for regional commerce, moving manufactured goods, food products, fuel and industrial inputs into landlocked markets.
Transporters warn that prolonged insecurity, combined with DRC's poor road network, is making the route increasingly expensive and unpredictable. Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers Association secretary-general Nicholas Mbugua said drivers could not determine how long a journey would take or whether they would safely return home.
“There are no roads in Congo but people are forced to go because goods still have to be delivered. The biggest challenge is you cannot plan or know how many days you will get there and return,” Mbugua said.