Hundreds of motorists spent the night of July 12 stranded along the Malaba-Bungoma highway after a 33-kilometre traffic jam formed near Kanduyi. The congestion was caused by mandatory Uganda Revenue Authority plate seals for trucks. By Monday morning the queue had shortened to 26 kilometres.
The Long-Distance Drivers and Conductors Association reported the jam reached 33 kilometres on Sunday. It attributed the backlog to delays in issuing URA plate seals required for trucks entering Uganda.
Drivers raised concerns over safety, cargo security, fatigue and the absence of ablution facilities. The Kenyan State Department of East African Community Affairs contacted Ugandan officials to speed up the process.
On Monday the association noted the queue had reduced to 26 kilometres starting from Mayanja. It thanked Dr Caroline Karugu for the intervention yet described the situation as still critical.
The Malaba crossing serves as a major route for trade between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.