Highway Africa News Agency (Grahamstown)
Joyce Joan Wangui
12 November 2007
A computer hitch at the Kenyan-Ugandan border of Malaba has caused a huge traffic jam that stretches to 15 kilometers long. According to reliable sources, computers at the Ugandan side of the border were infected with a virus that subsequently slowed down the process of clearing heavy trucks at the border.
However custom officials are reportedly working around the clock to clear the long line of tankers that have been stuck for the past four days. The problem was further complicated by the fact that officials could not clear the tankers manually since the process was strictly operating as an online clearing system.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the Kenya Revenue Authority decried the anomaly saying that customs officials should always have a back up mechanism in case computers crash.
The official said, "We are so sorry for the delay in clearance of goods at the border but we are doing everything to fast-track the process and clear the traffic."
The Kenya Revenue Authority officials appealed to their Ugandan counterparts to try and speed up the process, as drivers and passengers were loosing patience. Most drivers work on a back-to back bases and any delay would inconvenience their work schedule.
The two governments of Kenya and Uganda have jointly decried the delay and asked the relevant officials to speed up the process.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Revenue Authority has assured drivers that the process of clearing will be speeded up.
Traffic police officers have also been deployed to create an alternative lane for the vehicles, but drivers have threatened to create their own passage if something is not done soon.
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