This is in addition to illegal roadblocks, extortion and harassment along the corridor Continued insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan is pushing Kenyan truckers to the brink, with transporters now threatening to abandon the two critical routes.
They say unless urgent interventions are made to protect drivers and secure the movement of cargo, they will be forced to terminate journeys within the Uganda and Rwandan borders. The warning comes as killings, armed attacks, illegal roadblocks, extortion and harassment increasingly disrupt operations along the Northern Corridor, the region’s main trade corridor, raising fears that more transporters could withdraw from markets that are vital to Kenya’s exports and the Port of Mombasa.
This, as the Kenyan government moves to overhaul the Northern Corridor and reverse the growing diversion of transit cargo to competing regional routes. Kenyan drivers began grounding vehicles a fortnight ago after four colleagues were killed by suspected rebels along the Beni-Kisangani route.
Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers Union official Roman Waema yesterday said movement remains disrupted, with some trucks parked for nearly two weeks. “Our drivers who are in Congo have been forced to park and wait for almost two weeks now. The situation is not good,” Waema said, advising drivers yet to enter DRC to avoid the route.
In South Sudan, insecurity also remains a major concern amid extortion, with drivers also being forced to transport contrabands. Resolutions reached during a recent meeting between South Sudan’s Joint Operations Technical Committee, the South Sudan Revenue Authority and representatives of the East African Community long-distance truck drivers reveal a long-running dispute over illegal charges, roadblocks, border controls and security along the Juba-Nimule Highway and other major roads.
One of the key decisions was the creation of a joint task force to monitor and manage operations along the Juba-Nimule Highway. The task force was also tasked with overseeing security measures, controlling illegal activities and improving coordination between authorities and truck drivers.