As the Covid-19 cases increase in Busia County, residents have been urged to observe the health directives issued to combat the spread of the disease. Busia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri has said residents should take all the precautionary measures, including wearing of masks and washing hands regularly with soap and running water.
He also urged residents not to discriminate the truck drivers thinking all of them are Covid-19 positive. Most of the Coronavirus cases in Busia are from truck drivers at the Busia and Malaba border points. He said of the 6000 drivers tested, only 4 percent are positive. “All drivers are not positive.. They are our brothers, and they contribute to building the economy, businesses and they’ve taken up positions that others didn’t,” he said.
Moreover, truck drivers at the County border points are now complaining that police officers are asking for bribes before they are allowed to proceed. They say police officers remove their vehicle number plates if they don’t comply. “That is stealing from us. It’s better for transport to be stopped until the Corona pandemic ends before we resume our operations, instead of letting us ferry the cargo and when we reach here some have taken us to be a business and take advantage of us,” said one truck driver.
Another truck driver said the issue must be dealt with before they continue with their trade. Busia County currently has 248 Coronavirus cases, the third highest in terms of Counties, after Nairobi and Mombasa Counties.