The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has accused the clearing agents at Malaba border for the continuous truck pile up that has caused a daily traffic jam on the Malaba-Tororo highway during morning and evening hours.
Cargo trucks at Malaba border post
URA eastern regional manager Geoffrey Balamaga said whereas the tax body has employed staff to work on 24-hour basis under the one border stop centre system, the clearing agents are reluctant to work at night, leading to trucks piling up.
Balamaga said due to the limited operational space in Kenyan customs yard and small bridge, the trucks have been forced to park along the road.
“The truck queue has resulted into increased traffic because the operational space in Kenya has been consumed by the construction of the one stop border post,’’ Balamaga said on Saturday. Malaba border handles about 1,600 trucks daily due to increased trade in the Great Lakes region and a big number of ships docking at the port of Mombasa.
Balamaga appealed to clearing firms to employ enough staff to handle the increasing number of trucks by working on 24-hour basis.
Meanwhile, the construction of the multibillion dual bridge by H-young constructors rehabilitating Webuye-Malaba road has started. The bridge that is just 20 meters apart from the old bridge is expected to increase the speed of trucks crossing into Uganda.
By Faustine Odeke, The New Vision
