Tanzania Shuts Its Borders To Kenyan Truckers Citing Sabotage In Virus War

By Our Correspondent, NAIROBI Kenya

 

Tanzania government through its Regional Commissioners bordering Kenya, announced an indefinite ban on cargo drivers from Kenya in an escalated response to a recent directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta on mandatory COVID-19 screening at the border point.

 

President John Magufuli’s government which has lifted most COVID-19 restrictions including a 14-day quarantine period for international tourists arriving in the country accused the Kenyan government of undermining free trade.

Tanga Regional Commissioner, Martine Shigela, Monday said the move is aimed at curbing COVID-19 infections at the border points accusing Kenyans of spreading coronavirus to Tanzania.

“I direct authorities that as from today they should not allow any truckers coming from Kenya to enter our country, we cannot allow them to continue shipping the virus into our country,” said Shigela.    

“Tanzanians who have tried crossing the border to Kenya are really facing challenges, do not bother going there anymore to buy items,” he added.

Mara Regional Commissioner, Adam Malima also ordered the customs officers at Sirari (Isebania in Kenya) border post to make sure that truckers coming from Kenya are not allowed to enter Tanzania through the post. “The goods from Kenya should be offloaded at the border and picked by their Tanzania owners.” He insisted.

The Tanzanian official added that goods from his country to Kenya will also be offloaded at the border from where they will be picked by their Kenyan owners.

Trucks from Kenya heading to other countries in the south such as Malawi, Zambia, DR Congo through Tanzania will, however, be allowed entry provided they are not driven by Kenyans.

The directive by the Tanzanian officials comes after the Health Chief Administrative Secretary, Rashid Aman, announced that 51 Tanzania nationals were denied entry into the country after testing positive for COVID-19 at various border points.

Aman said more laboratories will be set up at Kenya-Tanzania border points to ramp up testing for COVID-19 amid complaints by truckers of delayed clearance at the border.

“The problem we currently have is along the Tanzanian border at Sirari/Isebania, Namanga, and Taita Taveta where we do not yet have functional laboratories that can do the test and turn around the results very quickly,” Aman said.

Tanzania truckers claim that testing done by Kenya doctors are faulty and most results positive to deny them entry to the country and create jobs for Kenya drivers to relay the goods through final destination in Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda.

Regional Commissioner for Arusha region, Mrisho Gambo said that some Tanzania truck drivers whose samples tested positive from Kenya results have tested negative from Tanzania laboratory in Dar es Salaam.

“To be precise of the results from Kenya, we took samples from positive drivers, sent them to our laboratory in Dar es Salaam and results show that 19 of them are negative.” He said adding that there is a ploy by Kenya to kill tourism and business in Arusha and Tanzania by declaring falsified coronavirus results.

Gambo said that the initiative is to safe-keep the Tanzania citizens from imported coronavirus and have sound preparations for tourists season in June this year.  

In a directive issued on May 16, President Kenyatta ordered the closure of the Kenya-Tanzania border to all passenger traffic in a bid to avert a spike in COVID-19 infections.

President Kenyatta directed officials at the border to only allow truck drivers who have tested negative for the coronavirus into Kenya.

Kenya's coronavirus tally has risen to 963 after 51 people tested positive in the last 24 hours.

During Tuesday press briefing, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the number of recoveries rose to 358 after 22 patients were discharged from hospitals. - Africa