The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
1 May 2008
Truck owners from neighbouring countries want to join the Kenya Transporters Association (KTA).
But KTA has not yet opened its doors for the new members.
It says such transporters will have to be subjected to authentication before they are allowed due to their past tainted records.
In the past, KTA has been complaining that single truck owners have been taking part in the disappearance of cargoes destined to neighbouring countries.
Though still unyielding, KTA seems to be the ultimate beneficiary of the venture as those single truck owners have been giving the organisation unfair competition greatly reducing transport costs from the port of Mombasa.
The move would also instill some professionalism to those not yet KTA members who have also been accused of being behind the rapid depletion of Kenyan roads due to overloading.
Already the single truck owners from different countries, which use the port of Mombasa led by the Ugandan representative, Mr Kidima Lusaabya, have held several meetings with KTA officials in Mombasa.
"Several single truck owners from different countries have actually met with KTA secretariat and follow up meetings are scheduled to take place soon. They are really interested in joining KTA," Mr Lusaabya said in an interview.
He holds a view that if the move would materialise it would impact positively on the 24-hours port operations and Kenya Revenue Authority's efforts in monitoring the movement of transit cargo.
But reacting to the plan, KTA's member Ibrahim Pasta said that there were some importers from transit countries who are lured to using cheap transport provided by such single trucks and thereafter complain that their cargoes could not be traced.
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