More than 600 trucks stuck at Kenya - Tanzania border for over a week

Over 600 trucks ferrying goods from the neighbouring country of Tanzania are stuck at the Namanga border for more than a week causing a huge snarl-up at the border town.

Truck drivers are decrying what they term as a snail-paced clearance process from Kenya's side which they say has caused them untold suffering and huge losses.

The more than 600 trucks, ferrying goods within East Africa, are still in transit but according to the drivers, their journey has been cut short owing to delays in the clearance process at the border.

Some have been stranded here for more than a week with a stream of trucks stretching over 5KM which one would think are parked.

“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.

Alex Sencha, clearance agent, said the challenge arises from the disharmony between the Tanzanian and Kenyan authorities on compliance with singles 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 are saying they have incurred huge losses and are calling on 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.”

Authorities from both Kenya and Tanzania are also attributing the prevailing situation to an increase in the number of transit trucks which stretch 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 calling on both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to expand the facility in a bid to cater for the growing demand but until that happens, the long wait for the transit truck drivers continues.