Home » News » Uganda news » Govt Clears Air On Testing Truck Drivers
Govt Clears The Air On The Of Testing Truck Drivers

Govt Clears Air On Testing Truck Drivers

The Government of Uganda has agreed to clear all truck drivers and their accompanying staff that show proof of PCR testing.

It went further and said the test should not be older than 72 hours and should be from a recognizable laboratory within the East African region.

A January 6, 2022 letter indicates that the measures were decided on in an inter-ministerial meeting. The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja chaired the meeting that took place on Thursday afternoon.

The development comes on the heels of an impasse over Covid-19 testing by truck drivers at border entry points.

Drivers from the East African region have parked their vehicles at Malaga border, stretching a long distance. They are protesting Covid-19 testing fees and repeated tests.

They claim Uganda is the only country that is charging for the service at a fee of $30, (shs 106,000).

The directives from the government were communicated to all district health officers of the border districts of Tororo, Busia, Rakai, Kabale, and Kasese. This happened as an interim measure to clear the backlog of cargo trucks accumulated on the borders.

Authorities insisted that the tests should be done from an attached list of approved laboratories in the region. They added that further guidance would be provided as it evolves.

William Busuulwa, one of the leaders of the long cargo drivers, said the government did not clarify on the major issue of testing charges.

He said drivers from Kenya and EAC rejected another Covid-19 test at the border. They demanded a 14-days period before they ask them to do another test.

The drivers say Kenya tests them upon leaving Mombasa for free and that they will not accept another test before the expiry of 14 days.

Check Also;

This is not a Paywall, but Newslex Point's journalism consumes a lot of time, hard-work and money. That's why we're kindly requesting you to support us in anyway they can, for as little as $1 or more, you can support us .

Please use the button below to contribute to Newslex Point, Inc. using a credit card or via PayPal.

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Comments

comments

Loading...

About Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan

Loading...
x

Check Also

Pallaso, Balaam Barugarara Reconcile After Gulu Feud

Minister Balaam Barugahara Arrests Singer Henry Mwanje For Child Grooming

The Minister of State for the Youth, Hon Balaam Barugahara arrested singer Henry Mwanje for ...