Northern Corridor: Sustained Sensitisation on the Spread of COVID-19
On Friday 3rd July 2020, the Northern Corridor Secretariat in collaboration with the Ministry of East Africa Community and Regional Development, Republic of Kenya, launched the first phase of a sustained “Sensitisation Campaign against the Spread of COVID-19 along the Northern Corridor”. The event saw some of the 10,000 reusable Face Masks and Reflector Jackets; branded with messages of solidarity and hope distributed to transporters and cross-border truck drivers as part of the contribution from the Northern Corridor Secretariat.
Launch of the Northern Corridor Sensitization Campaign against the Spread of COVID-19 by the East African Community and Regional Development Minister, Hon. Aden Mohammed and NCTTCA Executive Secretary, Omae Nyarandi, at the Miritini COVID-19 Testing Centre, 3rd July 2020.
The launch occasion held at Miritini COVID-19 Testing Centre in Mombasa, attracted various Northern Corridor stakeholders in Mombasa, including the Mombasa County Government officials, Kenya Ports Authority as well as representatives of transporters and long distance truck drivers. The event was graced by Hon. Adan Mohammed, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of EAC and Regional Development and currently the Chairman of the Northern Corridor Council of Ministers. The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by Dr Margaret W. Mwakima, Principal Secretary Regional Development and Northern Corridor Development and current Chairperson of the Northern Corridor Executive Committee.
East African Community and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Adan Mohammed officially launching the distribution of 10,000 face masks and reflector jackets to truck drivers’ representative at Miritini COVID-19 Testing Centre, 3rd July 2020.
As part of the mitigation efforts, the Long Distance Truck Drivers are tested at Miritini COVID-19 Testing Centre before they embark on their journeys to different destinations along the Northern Corridor. However, the testing capacity at the centre is currently low; resulting into delays in processing results for the tested drivers. The delays at Centre is mainly occasioned by the limited capacity of the facility as well as the Laboratory located at Kilifi. Currently, the capacity at Miritini Covid-19 Testing facility is 100 while the Laboratory in Kilifi handles only 250 samples per day.
“I understand that 600 Transit Cargo Drivers are cleared from the Port on daily basis, but our capacity to test here at Miritini is only 100”, revealed CS Mohammed; pledging to contact his Health counterpart, CS Mutahi Kagwe to increase the testing capacity at the Miritini facility.
The Cabinet Secretary attributed the delays at Malaba to the number of truck drivers leaving the Port before taking a test and assured the drivers that the testing facility at Miritini would be enhanced so that the drivers are tested before starting their journey to the final destinations.
The CS further promised the removal of the roadblock at Athi-River so that the truck drivers can move with little hinderence from Mombasa to Malaba once they have valid COVID-19 free certificates.
The Northern Corridor Executive Secretary Mr. OMAE Nyarandi emphasised that, since the declaration of the COVID-19 as a health pandemic by WHO on 11th March 2020, the Northern Corridor Secretariat undertook several initiatives and interventions to advocate for the smooth movement of cargo and flow of cross border trade.
“The Northern Corridor Secretariat put in place a regional platform for online meetings every Tuesday with Stakeholders that mainly focuses on what is happening in real-time in each of the Northern Corridor Member States as well as all the transit and transport node along the Corridor including: Port, Weighbridges, Border Posts, ICDs, and Transit Parking Yards”, said Omae Nyarandi.
He added that daily, the Northern Corridor Stakeholders and representatives of Regional Economic Communities such as EAC share, follow up and intervene on the challenges being faced at the entry and exit points through a WhatsApp Group dubbed “Northern Corridor Stakeholders Forum” dedicated for rapid information sharing, providing quick interventions and collaboration in mitigating the challenges; likewise the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Above all, the Northern Corridor Secretariat has a regular and sustained monitoring of the impact of COVID-19 on Trade and Transport Logistics along the Corridor”, said Omae Nyarandi.
The Northern Corridor sensitisation campaign against the Spread of COVID-19 was mainly intended to remind our Stakeholders; especially Truck Drivers of our lethal weapons against the Spread of COVID-19: ‘Wear Face Masks, Wash Hands, Sanitise and Keep Social Distance’. On the other hand, the sensitisation campaign is intended to show solidarity with the Transporters and Cross border Truck Drivers who are at the forefront of bringing goods and other essential services to our midst in these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. We must therefore raise our collective voice against the stigmatisation of COVID-19 infected and affected people.