Resolve persistent road insecurity and save the market

On Monday, the Kenyan Transporters Association issued a travel advisory to Kenyan drivers to cease transporting goods to South Sudan until security improves along Juba-Nimule road.

The association urged all transporters not to risk the lives of their drivers by continuing to offer transport services to South Sudan as the country remains highly volatile. They requested all transporters to withdraw their services forthwith to South Sudan until such tie security shall be guaranteed

According to the statement, drivers already en route to South Sudan should stop at the Elegu border-crossing point and demanded the government of South Sudan to compensate lives and damages Kenyan drivers have encountered along the Juba-Nimule highway.

Hence, the truck drivers’ strike may have far-reaching consequences in the country’s market and the economy at large given the fact that most of South Sudan’s import goods come through Kenya’s Port of Mombasa, except few goods that are imported from Uganda. Any interruption in the importation of goods from Kenya may put the country in a very dire condition.

For the last few months, we have seen stability in the dollar exchange rate which has kept prices in the market a bit stable and made commodities affordable to ordinary consumers.

But the new decision by the truck drivers to stop transporting goods to the country is likely to retard the effort exerted by the Central Bank to stabilize prices in the market.

Through its law enforcement agencies and the organized forces, the government should take quick measures to address the persistent insecurity along the Juba-Nimule highway that has claimed many innocent lives.

There should be at least a permanent solution to issues of insecurity along Juba-Nimule road once and for all to shame those bandits who have for quite a long time taken the highway as a means to show off their powers and presence by attacking and killing innocent travelers.

It is such a barbaric and cowardly act for any armed group or criminals to target innocent people instead of facing the military that they have grievances against because attacking civilians will not make their concerns to be addressed.

While the government looks out for quick measures to avert the impending impact of the truck drivers’ strike, it is also important to ensure that these issues are resolved once and for all because in the past four months, a similar protest was staged by Ugandan truck drivers and it negatively impacted the supply of goods into the country, creating high demand amid low supply.

However, the issue was resolved when South Sudanese and Ugandan authorities reached an agreement with the truckers and promised to protect them once they cross into Nimule.

Nevertheless, the agreement seemed to have been cut short as many traders and passengers continue to lose lives along the road. It is why the government should take it seriously to provide a sustainable solution to the persistent insecurity threats along the Juba-Nimule road to avoid any disruption of trade with neighboring countries.