Two more Kenyan cargo truck drivers have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) in Uganda as the country’s confirmed cases rose to 83, according to Ministry of Health.
The confirmed cases were among the 2071 samples tested among truck drivers on Sunday.
“The confirmed cases are both Kenyan male truck drivers: 55 year old and 27 year old who arrived via Busia and Malaba respectively” the Ministry twitted adding that 492 samples from communities tested negative for COVID-19.
Truck drivers are taking the centre stage in the regional fight against COVID-19 in East Africa as restrictions on their movements are met with protests.
Scores of lorry drivers have been sent back home from Uganda upon testing positive for the coronavirus while Rwanda has also imposed restrictions requiring loaded trucks to be off-loaded at Rusumo.
The situation is more chaotic at the Kenya/Uganda border. Hundreds of trucks carrying goods have been stopped to enter the latter country for fear of spreading the virus.
Landlocked Uganda has put the entire country under a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 1,000 reported cases across the East African Community (EAC) region.
Ugandan authorities want drivers of lorries from Kenya and Tanzania transporting goods there to hand over the vehicles to their Uganda counterparts to complete the journey.
President Museveni on Tuesday night said that banning cargo from entering the country “is absolutely suicidal” and ‘unnecessary’.
“Until the train is fully operational, I appeal to Ugandans to swallow your anger and employ amagezi [wisdom]. Stopping cargo is [not only] suicidal but also unnecessary,” argued President Museveni.
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