Hundreds of cargo trucks are stranded at Elegu Border Post awaiting clearance from South Sudan and sparking fear of possible spread of Covid-19.
The more than 1,000 cargo trucks transporting petroleum, food items and construction materials have been parked at Elegu Border Post for days now.
Local leaders say the crowding of the trucks at the border is risky as the country is trying to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking to the Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, on Friday at Elegu, Amuru District chairperson, Mr Michael Lakony, asked the minister to work with her counterpart in South Sudan and quickly screen the cargo truck drivers.
Issue
"We are sitting on time bomb. On our side the manpower is in place and everything is done in time but the South Sudan side business is not moving well," he said.
He added: "Since the truck drivers keep here for day waiting to be cleared by the South Sudan authorities they mingle with the community. The sex workers have also started interacting with them," Mr Lakony said.
Mr Joseph Kyampire, a truck driver from Mombasa, told Sunday Monitor that he is considering abandoning the business of carrying cargo.
"We are harassed on the road in terms of food, accommodation since we are not allowed to make any stopover unless at designated place. Imagine, we have been here for close to two days, no food. You cannot get water to take a bath and answering nature's call has also remained a problem," he said
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Dr Aceng, who was at Elegu border to assess the working condition of the health workers, tasked all the cargo drivers to wear masks in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.
"Do not allow to work with cargo drivers without masks," she cautioned the leaders.
Leaders tasked
The minister also tasked Amuru leaders to constantly sensitise the residents on the dangers of interacting with cargo truck drivers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I will reach out to my counterpart and we get a way forward on clearing the cargo drivers so that they do not keep in such places for long," she added.
Statistics
Since April, Amuru District has tested 3,897, samples and only two have been found to be positive for Covid-19. Currently, 29, people are under quarantine at Pabbo isolation centre.
