Muhammad Magomu, an Immigration official at Mutukula, said last week that the machines ran out of cartridges two months ago. Now, truck drivers trooping into Uganda have to wait four days for test results. Samples are driven to Kampala and Entebbe for testing.
Magomu said the wait and the introduction in August of the Shs 240,000 Covid-19 cost-sharing recovery fee have diminished the number of drivers cleared at the border to between 30 and 35 per day, down from between 200 and 300 per day.
“When the cost-sharing recovery fee was introduced, they [drivers] also protested; they said the amount was so much but we explained to them that, that was the minimum cost because we don’t have factories that produce reagents here. Those who used to easily come to relax [in Uganda], of course can’t come now. Thirty to 35 people per day are the ones we manage to clear. Before we cleared between 200-300 people per day,” Magomu said.
Earlier, URA commissioner, Customers Abel Kagumire who received a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) at Mutukula from TradeMark East Africa, said the reduction of mobs of drivers at the border was down to the efficiency of
Uganda’s Covid-19 testing processes. “Ever since this laboratory came, you can see we don’t have any congestion today, we don’t have truck drivers lined up here waiting to be tested. Why? Because the results are instant…We want to appreciate the lab here; it has eased the transmission of results and movement of trucks across the region.” Kagumire said.
Asked why the laboratory has not been operating for over two months now, he said inbound drivers should make sure they come in with negative Covid-19 result certificates to lessen the burden on Uganda’s ministry of Health.
“I don’t know about the reagents, and I don’t know if the test kits are enough or not. What we’re encouraging right from the Mombasa port is that when you’re coming to Uganda, make sure you come with a Covid-19-free certificate so that ministry of Health officials here don’t have to burden themselves with looking for reagents, look for test kits. What we have seen recently, majority are coming with them [negative certificates]. That is why the tents don’t have many people waiting to be tested… In Uganda, you can’t cross without a Covid-free certificate. We used to have crowds coming.” Kagumire said.
Since March this year, Kagumire said, URA has facilitated a total of 24,715 trucks; 19,308 incoming and transiting out of Uganda while 5,407 were outgoing into Tanzania at an average of 150 trucks per day incoming/ transit and 70 trucks outgoing. The value of goods facilitated amounted to Shs 267 billion while exports are 251 billion.
TIMELY DONATION
Mutukula is one of six border posts and the third busiest for Uganda and Tanzania. The approach to slowing the spread of Covid-19 is more lax on the Tanzanian side, which renders frontline staff at greater risk of infection. An on-the-ground visit to the border revealed two contrasting approaches – on the Ugandan side majority endeavor to wear face masks and gloves.
On the Tanzanian side, there’s hardly any social distancing, boda bodas carry more than one passenger and hardly anyone is seen wearing a face mask. In fact some of the Tanzanian citizenry complained that Uganda is too strict for nothing. They said they are living normally and are not dying en masse.
The minister of state for Cooperatives, Frederick Ngobi Gume who represented the minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, said both the Tanzanian and Ugandan approaches will protect their citizens from the virus.
Ngobi said that in April this year, the Trade ministry and TradeMark East Africa, designed the Safe Trade Programme to support the Covid-19 national task force to focus on issues affecting trade and trade logistics, provide basic personal protective equipment, testing and hand-washing facilities at the border and screening of truck drivers.
According to Ngobi, the Safe Trade Programme was a spontaneous approach meant to facilitate continuation of trade across the borders amidst the coronavirus disease pandemic.
“The PPE handed over today is meant for all border agencies operating at this border in the spirit of promoting integrated border trade and health management. I would not like to hear complaints that some agencies did not receive PPEs… I would like to thank development partners TMEA, DANIDA… I want to thank you for being hands-on, for being good partners and for being practical,” Ngobi said.
The PPE donation pack included hand sanitizers, hand washing stations, liquid hand washing soap, infrared thermometer, re-usable safety boots, full-protective PPE, filtering face piece respirator, reusable masks, plastic face shield, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser dispensers and disinfectant spray bottles. Under the Safe Trade Program, the Danish government through DANIDA committed $2 million (about Shs 7.2 billion) towards the six border points in the country. Mirama Hills border post will also receive PPEs. Border communities, especially women traders and children, are also beneficiaries.
They also receive PPEs and are sensitised about personal protection against the virus and organised in groups to safely transport their merchandise across the borders.
Other interventions under the bigger $23 million Safe Trade emergency facility include: technology to enhance truck driver testing and tracking; the development and implementation of relevant protocols to enhance efficient and safe trade; supporting trade policy, standards; policy advocacy and improving e-commerce; and the development of safe trade zones to support formal and informal traders at the borders.
TradeMark East Africa’s acting country director for Uganda Damali Ssali underscored the need for Uganda to safeguard and boost its trade and economy as it struggles to contain the coronavirus disease pandemic. She said one component of the Safe Trade Emergency facility is the creation of safe trade zones through provision of personal protective equipment.
“The other border markets that will benefit from this are Malaba, Elegu and Busia. So, we shall be providing personal protective equipment in these cross-border markets that are largely dominated by women. Women traders also need to trade safely. We are glad that the Danish government through DANIDA is supporting the Safe Trade Emergency Facility. DANIDA also supported the establishment and implementation of the Uganda Electronic Single Window, which has enabled contact-less international trade for stakeholders.”
The Danish ambassador to Uganda, Nicolaj A. Hejberg Petersen said trade between countries must continue amidst the coronavirus disease pandemic. He said his country is committed to ensuring safe trade. He said barcodes have been introduced to minimise human interaction between immigration and custom officials and inbound and outbound cargo.
He said Denmark is interested in seeing how the pandemic will pan out in the next two years. He said they still have more funds should the need arise to further facilitate safe trade. He revealed that last year his government spent over $50 million to boost agriculture and the refugee policy across the country.
Maj David Matovu, the Kyotera resident district commissioner (RDC), thanked Denmark for the PPE donation. “Denmark, you have been great friends of Uganda. You touch our hearts, we have so many friends, very many but you are different, you are hands-on…We have so many friends in Uganda, you people, you know them, we call them development partners, stakeholders but others invest in advocacy, capacity building but Denmark is different, it’s hands-on and you can trace it in the community,” said Matovu.