Country And Uganda Make Plans to Clear Malaba Backlog

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Reuben Olita

27 May 2011

Northern Corridor Stakeholders yesterday unveiled urgent measures to be adopted by Kenya and Uganda to fast track goods clearance at the Malaba border.

A five-hour meeting in Malaba chaired by Northern Corridor Authority Secretary Fred Hunter agreed to have Kenya and Uganda police provide night patrols to protect drivers and their goods against theft in Malaba and Kayempe areas. Kenya government was mandated to purchase land along the Northern Corridor near Malaba to put up a parking bay for trucks that are awaiting clearance.

It was also resolved that URA expedites the completion of its customs yard to save drivers from exploitation by private parking owners whose daily charges of KSh400 were too high.

The joint clearance centre uses only one entry gate at night. URA was also ordered to open the second gate up to midnight to improve on traffic flow.

Should delays occur for arrival of documents involving trucks under escort, Kenya Revenue Authority was mandated to print other documents to enable the vehicles proceed with the journey to avoid delays and pile ups.

Uganda clearing agents who operate only during the day owing to security concerns and non-availability of GTI centres at night were ordered to resume duties by preloading entry documents beforehand.

The current bridge separating Kenya and Uganda is more than 80 years old and accommodates only one truck at a time. The stakeholders agreed to push for the construction of a bigger one to allow traffic to flow faster.

Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association, the umbrella organisation of clearing agents, was mandated to take a leading role in sensitising their members on the 24-hour system.

Truck drivers were encouraged to obtain multiple entry visas that last 12 months upon payment of KSh13,600 (USD160) instead of Ksh4,300 (USD50) per entry which is cumbersome and causes unnecessary delays.

Kenya police were ordered to ensure truck drivers cross into Uganda at night or take appropriate action on those who defy the directive.

The stakeholders travelled over three days from KPA, Mariakani weighbridge, police road blocks, Athi River and Gilgil weighbridges, Kenya Pipeline Limited in Eldoret depot, and Malaba border points in Kenya and Uganda.

They were met at the Malaba border in Kenya by URA manager for Eastern Region Geoffrey Balamaga, Officer in charge of Malaba police station in Uganda Joseph Mwesige, and KRA Deputy Commissioner Grace Gichira.

The Northern Corridor is the busiest and most important transport route in East and Central Africa, providing a lifeline through Kenya to the landlocked economies of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and DRC.

These countries are served by an extensive network of transport routes originating from the port of Mombasa, through Uganda, then branching off to Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern parts of DRC.

Imports to and exports from the member states transit through the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. Routes ending or starting in Mombasa form the Northern Corridor, while those connected to Dar es Salaam belong to the Central Corridor.

The main Northern Corridor artery is served by a combination of transport modes and infrastructure facilities that include: the Maritime Port of Mombasa; road network; rail network; rail-lake transport; inland water routes; inland container depots; and, an oil pipeline. All these form part of the Northern Corridor infrastructure used in facilitating the flow of goods across member.

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