Uganda is in a classic catch-22 situation for not knowing what to do with long-distance drivers from East African counties, who have now become the leading vectors for the Coronavirus.
Speaking to the media at the Uganda Media Centre yesterday, Gen. Jeje Odongo, the Internal Affairs Minister, said the government is considering a number of options to ensure that truck drivers from mainly Kenya and Tanzania coming into Uganda don’t transmit the virus.
Mr. Odongo said, many testing positive has made them rethink what actions they should take, pointing out that the deployment of rapid testing kits so that results are obtained before the driver leaves the border was better but an expensive to the government of Uganda.
Gen. Odongo speaking1……
The Minister added that as they await these discussions, the government of Uganda has designated specific areas where these truck drivers will be resting away from their usual places to minimize contacts with community members. Gen. Jeje Odongo speaking2……
Earlier, the Military General had revealed that the other option government is considering is to adopt a system of relay driving where a driver from a country like Kenya brings the vehicle to the border like Busia or Malaba where it will be sanitized then handed over to a Ugandan driver who will take it to its final destination. END