Over 600 trucks transporting goods from Tanzania have been stuck at the Namanga border for more than a week, causing a massive traffic jam.
Truck drivers are complaining about what they call Kenya’s slow clearance process, which they say has caused them untold suffering and loss.
The more than 600 trucks transporting goods within East Africa are still in transit, but their journey has been cut short, according to the drivers, due to delays in the border clearance process.
Some have been stranded for more than a week, with a line of trucks stretching over 5 kilometers.
“Toka jumatatu gari iko ndani lakini bado hawajafanya utaratibu wa kuivusha na kwenye foleni nimemaliza siku tatu upande wa Kenya lakini hadi leo bado sijajua kama gari itavukishwa ama bado,” Martine Mfinanga, a truck driver said.
According to Alex Sencha, clearance agent, the problem stems from disagreements between Tanzanian and Kenyan authorities regarding compliance with single customs.
“There is a problem of full implementation of singles customs territory between Kenya and Tanzania, of which Tanzanians have complied…they have deployed their officers on the Kenyan side but on our Kenyan side we have not complied, they have not deployed our officers on the Tanzanian side hence clearing the smooth clearance of goods coming into Kenya,” Alex said.
The drivers claim they have suffered significant losses and are pleading with authorities to intervene.
“Gharama imekuwa juu juu lazima tuwaongezee mileage, tuwapatie upkeep ile ya kila siku. We normally spend around one day here lakini seven days lazima tuongeze pesa so imekuwa ni problem,” Abdi Salat, a travel agent noted.
Another truck driver Hussein Kassim added: “Kwanza tumeletwa kwa parking, parking ambayo ni ya vumbi, hamna choo hamna vyakula, halafu tunatakikana tulipe parking shilling elfu tano ya Tanzania.”
Both Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities attribute the current situation to an increase in the number of transit trucks, which strains the capacity of the Namanga One Stop Border Post.
“Exports za Tanzania zimekuwa mingi lakini ukiangalia utendaji umesalia palepale, tuongeze muda wa kazi tuongeze utendaji tuongeze utumishi,” Transport Manager Abdi Salat says.
They are therefore urging both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to expand the facility in order to meet the growing demand, but the long wait for transit truck drivers will continue until that happens.
