Malaba — Long Distance truck drivers have expressed their fear and concern over increasing state of insecurity along Kisumu- Busia Highway and Eldoret- Malaba Highway where truck drivers are being robbed in broad daylight.
According to the Association of truck drivers, in the last one month, ten drivers have been attacked while on snarl-up with one driver who was wounded losing his life.
The drivers who have reported the matter with security agencies within Busia and even obtained OB numbers are blaming the police for not taking keen interest in the matter, the move that saw them issue a 14 days strike notice if the matter is not addressed amicably.
Speaking at Malaba OSBP, the drivers led by their chairperson Peter Tanui noted that the thugs are taking advantage of traffic snarl-up which has lasted for two weeks to rob them of essential items.
"The numerous police checkpoints and traffic police on the road are not helping the drivers in any way. For them its all about getting their Shs. 50 yet this issue of insecurity they can't even handle," said Tanui.
According to Tanui, the thieves are targeting dipsticks and KRA trackers which attract a penalty of ksh.250,000 from KRA if found without the two essential gadgets.
The driver now DCI and special unity police together with EACC police to have a keen watch on the matter noting that it was possible KRA officials could be colluding with thugs to temper with the gadgets to punish drivers and logistic companies.
Tanui now wants CS transport and treasurer to visit Busia and Malaba customs to clean up the mess in KRA offices and also address the persistence problem of scanners which has contributed to the heavy traffic being witnessed in the recent days.
The sentiment which were echoed by Hosen Adan the SG of long distance driver association who also slammed both KRA and URA officials for intentional reluxity and some official colluding with few drivers to overlap thus causing accidents.
Adan added that Kenyan drivers face a lot of hostility in South Sudan where the military there and rebel groups are charging drivers 100 to 300 dollars per trip before even again they pay 150 dollars for stamp duty on their passport.
"We are asking our embassy in South Sudan to help negotiate with the government against this harassment. We are losing drivers daily in the hands of rebels and the military who control traffic in Juba," said Adan.
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The association lost two drivers last week and now are appealing to the president to reach out with both Uganda and South Sudan counterparties and save drivers.
"We are not going to continue transporting our goods to South Sudan after 14 days, we can't keep on risking our lives to grow the economy of our country and bosses yet nobody cares for us," he added.
Moses Wanja on other hand blamed the county government of Busia for failing to set up a public toilet and trailer park, a condition which has forced drivers to urinate in water bottles while some just making stopovers anywhere for both long and short calls with no fear.
"Its a big shame that the county government of Busia has failed to construct a single trailer park or public toilet for drivers to ease themselves while in traffic yet they want us to pay them," said Wanja.
The 2 weeks traffic has now stretched to Kanduyi and drivers are now foreseeing it to stretch further to Webuye and beyond.
"I arrived at Kanduyi on Friday last week, three days latter I am yet to reach Malaba border, this is inhuman," said one driver while expressing his dissatisfaction.
