The Teso North security team facilitated the unconditional release of Malaba long-distance truck drivers’ chairman Sudi Mwatela and driver Elijah Nyaga, who had been detained in Uganda.
The two individuals were released and transferred following intervention by the Teso North Security Committee led by sub-county Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Solomon Kitai on Monday at the Malaba-Uganda border crossing.
Mwatela, representing the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) Malaba chapter, and Nyaga had been apprehended at Elegu town on the Uganda-South Sudan border and held by Ugandan police under unclear circumstances during the weekend.
Kitai explained that the Kenyan nationals had reportedly demonstrated against allegations of harassment, assault, and intimidation of long-distance truck drivers by South Sudan security personnel prior to their arrest.
“The two Kenyans expressed gratitude for the positive relationship between Kenya and Uganda, acknowledging that Ugandan security officials neither injured nor mistreated them despite their detention,” Kitai stated.
Kitai indicated that the primary issue persists in Southern Sudan, where long-distance truck drivers transporting cargo through Uganda to other East African Community member states reportedly face attacks from security officers, leading to frequent strikes over safety concerns.
“We are pleased that the two Kenyans were transferred to us unconditionally as a demonstration of the friendly relationship between Kenya and Uganda,” Kitai remarked, noting that both governments agreed to prevent similar arrests in the future.
Mwatela mentioned that his earlier request for striking drivers to return to work was initially met with resistance due to safety concerns in Southern Sudan, but the drivers subsequently agreed to resume operations.
Nyaga reassured Kenyans of their safety and well-being, noting that they were taken to Atiak before being released, and highlighting the importance of unity among drivers and stakeholders in resolving such conflicts.
KIFWA chairman Kennedy Osiya emphasized that the arrest of the two Kenyan drivers in Elegu highlights the necessity for enhanced measures to ensure efficient cargo transportation along the Northern Corridor.
“There is an urgent need for Uganda to implement mobile scanners or permit trucks carrying dry cargo such as clinker and cement to pass without undergoing extended scanning procedures,” he said.
Osiya further claimed that border operations had slowed after a scanner in Uganda reportedly malfunctioned two days earlier, causing delays in cargo clearance.
This resulted in traffic congestion extending over 20 km to Kimwanga Bridge.
“There is a need for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to simplify border clearance procedures by reducing mandatory scanning for all trucks, in accordance with East African Community protocols that encourage seamless movement of goods and traffic within the Great Lakes region,” he stated.